A/N: An average sized chapter, delivered right on cue. It's the closing of my small Washington arc. Major globetrotting incoming.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, although I once got an email saying that if I deposited a bail fee of $2800,- I could. Sadly, it was a Nigerian scammer.

Chapter 7

Chuck and Sarah were lying in bed. Their hands had almost instinctively linked under the covers, but apart from that and the kissing (which had increased in quantity, not that Chuck would complain about that… ever) they were still between that awkward stage of 'dating, but not yet exclusive', made infinitely more awkward by the fact that they were pretty much roomies. Sarah had fallen asleep a while ago, but Chuck's brain couldn't shut itself down. He kept pondering about the relationship that they were forming. He felt conflicted. On one hand, he really wanted it to work out with Sarah, but on the other hand he didn't know if he was ever able to take that big a leap again. Jill really messed him up, and Bryce's confession did nothing to soften the blow to Chuck's psyche. Sure, he often thought about marriage, the 2.5 kids and the white picket fence. But would he ever be able to take that step to make it a reality? He didn't even know if he could partake in a sexual relationship at the moment, let alone moving things to the next level.

He still felt betrayed by Bryce's actions, no matter how noble it turned out to be. But then again, he was left to assume the worst for 3 years straight, and if it hadn't been for this Orion guy stealing the Intersect, he would've probably never found out the truth.

"You know, you really ought to get some sleep." He heard from his side. Sarah's eyes fluttered open, and she looked at Chuck.

"Hey… How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to know that sleep seems to be particularly hard to come by for you tonight."

Chuck chuckled. It was rather forced. "Yeah, I guess. I'm just having some issues that I need to sort out for myself."

Sarah sat up. "Anything I can help you with?"

Chuck sighed. "I'm afraid not."

Sarah started stroking his hair. So far, she was 2 out of 2 in calming him down with the gesture. Truth be told, she didn't know what else she could do. But as she looked over and saw the worry lines slowly but surely disappear from his face, she knew she was on the right track. It allowed her time to reflect on her own issues. Sarah was officially in a pickle. It felt so unnaturally right to be with Chuck. But was she not overdoing it? After all, for the past six and a half months, she'd been chasing after him, never once stopping to bother with other men.

One thing was for sure, she was certainly growing attached to him, even though they had been going out for two dates. Three if you counted the plane. And they had spent two nights as roomies. And it somehow already felt natural to her to call Chuck if she wanted to share. So what was the nagging feeling in her stomach all about? She couldn't place it anywhere on the emotional spectrum. And to be fair, the nagging feeling wasn't actually all that unpleasant. Sure, she wished it could go away, but it was sort of a teasing feeling. A small bubble of… unhappiness? Well, that wouldn't be true would it? After all, she was pretty damn happy with the way her life was panning out ever since she committed to changing. So what the hell could it be?

Then it hit her. She could almost smack herself. Of course she wouldn't recognize the feeling. After all, it had never happened to her before. It was an unresolved sexual tension that was slowly bubbling to the surface. Except that Chuck promised her it wouldn't be sex. No, when the time came for them to consummate their relationship, they'd be making love. And Sarah was most definitely looking forward to it, if Chuck's description was anything to go by. But she had heard Chuck. She acknowledged that he needed time to adjust to it all. To get ready. She felt like she was willing to wait for him. But was she really? What if he never decided? As committed as she was to finding out if it would work with Chuck, would she have to start planning contingency plans? It never hurt to be prepared.

"You know, you really ought to go back to sleep." She heard a drowsy voice next to her say.

"Hey… How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to know that you didn't go back to sleep after waking up."

"Well. I guess I've got some issues to sort out for myself."

"Anything I can help you with."

Sarah sighed. "Not yet."

Chuck laughed. "This conversation sounds oddly familiar, don't you think?"

Sarah chuckled. "I guess you're right."

Chuck sat up in bed, and looked at her. "Just tell me when you want my help with anything. Trust me, I'll be there for you."

Sarah nodded. "Thanks, Chuck."

They both lay down again, and waited for the inevitable sleep to overtake them. When Chuck's breathing became heavy and consistent again, Sarah started to feel drowsy. Still, she couldn't help but hear Chuck slowly mumbling in his sleep. She scooted over, trying to hear what he was saying. As she laid her head on his chest, she could hear his whispering clear as day. It alleviated her initial fear, but replaced it with one of equal measure.

"I love you, Sarah."

Oh crap.

Sarah did manage to fall asleep eventually. She decided to act as if nothing had happened. After all, Chuck was asleep. It was obviously his subconscious speaking to himself. Whilst that made his statement all the more truthful, it also meant that the conscious part of Chuck had no idea what he had said the night before. Sarah decided to see it as a win. At least she had lost the initial dread that she had been having earlier that night. It felt kind of nice to have some security in that area.

They once again woke up entangled in one another. It was a mystery as to how it kept happening. But Sarah had always been a glass-half-full girl, so she wasn't complaining. As she went to the bathroom, to do her morning routine, she heard Chuck call Ellie. Luckily for Chuck, Ellie had the graveyard shift, so she was still awake. She wouldn't want to be in his shoes if he had called her while she was asleep. From the stories that Chuck had told her, Ellie could be kind of… intense. Chuck seemed elated talking to her again.

"Hey sis… Yeah, I know what the time is… Well, it was kind of a gamble, but it paid off… Yeah, I'm having a great time… Well, I'd never speak for her, but I think we're actually doing okay in that department… No, she's in the bathroom… I don't know, whatever it is you girls do in there… I don't know how much of that I can disclose… We briefly spoke to a Major of the Marine Corps and he promised he would help us… Now we're going to an ex-CIA agent… I have no idea what it's about, but Sarah seemed pleased with the information she was getting… Well, I'm just there to ask the questions, Sarah's there for the write-up and the fact-checking…"

At this point, Sarah came out of the bathroom, and Chuck signaled her to come closer.

"…I don't know when we'll be getting back, but I'll let you know… Yeah, Sarah just came out of the bathroom… Alright sis… Love you too."

He handed the phone to Sarah, who looked slightly bewildered at the fact that Ellie wanted to speak to her.

"Hello…?" she answered, with a decidedly small voice.

"Hey Ellie… Yeah I'm good… It did help out actually… Yeah, he scored another brochure of sorts at the airport… I've been having a great time so far… Well, yeah, it's work, but we've managed to find some time for ourselves so far… He's been great, you did well in raising him… Alright… Yeah, we'll call you when we're coming home… Bye Ellie."

Sarah ended the call, and turned to give the phone back to Chuck, who was standing there, with a silly grin plastered on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"You two seem to get along well." Chuck said, amusement coloring his voice.

Sarah shrugged. "I guess. We've got a very important thing in common."

Chuck's curiosity was piqued. "And what may that be?"

Sarah launched herself at him, landing on the bed. "You." she said, before she started mauling him.

Sarah had found Shaw through the phonebook. Chuck had laughed heartily at what he described were "Old-school methods." but Sarah had simply rolled her eyes, and that was the end of that particular discussion. They had gotten another cab to the house, and were pleasantly surprised to find it was a suburban style house, made wheelchair accessible.

As they were standing in front of the door, Chuck leaned over. "Hey Sarah."

"Yes, Chuck?"

"You're amazing."

Sarah beamed. "You remembered!"

Chuck shrugged, the small curve of his lips betraying his mirth. "The promise went both ways. And besides, it's not like I have to remember. One glance at you and it instantly shoots back into my mind."

Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "For what it's worth, you're amazing too."

The door opened to ex-Agent Daniel Shaw. Or, as Chuck had called him, the literal 2 by 4. Sarah was appalled at herself when she found herself actually laughing. Still, he had been outfitted with prosthetic arms, so he could at least roll himself. His face looked depressed. Sarah didn't blame him. She wouldn't know what she would do if she was in his position.

"Good afternoon, Sir. We're terribly sorry to disturb, but I am Chuck Bartowski, and this is Sarah Walker. We're from the Los Angeles Daily, and we would like to ask you some questions over your recent involvement with the C.I.A."

Shaw's eyes lit up. "Ah, my favorite organization in the world. Sure, I can waste a few moments. Not that I've gotten anything better to do." He turned around, but not before giving Sarah the once-over. Chuck instinctively slid his hand around her waist. It felt… good. She wasn't really sure what to make of it all, but the one thing she was registering was that it felt oddly satisfying, seeing Chuck "marking his territory" if you would. So, she returned the favor, and they walked into Shaw's house, enveloped in each other.

As they sat down, still holding on to each other, Shaw's face fell a bit. But Sarah was pretty sure that he wasn't really expecting much to come from it anyway.

"So… You want to know about the C.I.A. Well, where do I start? They're a bunch of disloyal rat bastards. They betrayed me, took most of my body, and they ruined my life."

"Yes Mr. Shaw, we'd like to talk to you about the C.I.A. among other things, but we'd first like to ask you if you had ever heard of the Intersect project."

Shaw's eyes damn near popped out of their sockets. "How'd you find out about that?"

"We were approached by the C.I.A. to find out what happened to the project. We're under strict orders to find it, and return it to the C.I.A."

Shaw's features hardened. "I'm sorry. I can't let you do that. The Intersect is too powerful. It's going to destroy everything that I've ever fought for. Privacy as we know it will be gone. With an Intersect walking around, you would get kicked to the curb for having a speeding ticket or something ludicrous like that."

Chuck was baffled. "What do you mean? I thought the Intersect was supposed to stop terrorism."

Shaw nodded. "That was the ideology behind it all. And it was geared towards that purpose. But the Intersect is a lot more dangerous than you think. They started experimenting with it. They started adding skill sets that could be learned by simply thinking about it. Imagine every country in the NATO having a person who was for all intents and purposes, a superman. The wielder could learn every skill anyone had ever had, would learn any language he or she desired. For all intents and purposes, the wielder would be a God. Every person he would see, he'd instantly possess knowledge over. What his or her gross annual income is. How much children they have. Where they live. When they were married. The possibilities were endless. But can you not see the corruption such power would eventually bring?"

Chuck and Sarah were growing pale as Shaw's explanation drudged on. The way Bryce had explained it, it would save the world. The way that Shaw was explaining it, it seemed as if it would be the beginnings of a totalitarian regime.

"So what's the point of the project, then?" Chuck asked.

Shaw shook his head. "I don't know. All I found out was that they were making it, and where they were storing the computer. I was going to destroy it, when I was taken out by the C.I.A. One of my contacts must've leaked and this was the gratitude I got for trying to save the country that I love." He wove in a circular motion, encompassing the entire room, and by default himself.

Sarah piped up. "So can you help us find it?"

Shaw directed his gaze towards Sarah. She didn't give an inch. "So what, you can give it back to the C.I.A.? So you can watch this country be turned into a police state? Where politics don't matter anymore, and all that matters is who controls the Intersect host? No, I refuse to share any information."

Chuck turned to Sarah. "Sarah, we can't let them do this. Shaw's right, it would destroy America. Hell, it would destroy any country that would have an Intersect. We've got to destroy it."

Sarah contemplated it. She actually grew silent for a minute, under expectant stares from both Chuck and Shaw. Finally she nodded. "You're right, Chuck. But what are we going to tell Bryce?"

"Nothing. You see what they did to Shaw. I can only imagine what they would do to us. I'm not going to let them do to you, what they did to him."

Sarah knew it was idiotic, but she couldn't help it. She felt giddy when Chuck proclaimed he wouldn't let anybody hurt her. Even though, in the event that they were attacked, she was far more qualified dealing with the threat than Chuck was. It was… sweet. Sweet wasn't a word she used often, but it seemed that words from that nature and Chuck seemed to share an inherent bond.

She laid her hand on his arm and thanked him. "Fine, we won't tell Bryce anything. We'll just have to keep this strictly between us. The moment that the C.I.A. finds out, we've got targets painted on our back."

Chuck nodded. He turned towards Shaw, and focused his attention back on to him. "So, Shaw. What can you tell us about the Intersects location?"

Shaw sighed. "Nothing. I found four contacts who had legitimate information regarding the Intersect. There was one in the Netherlands, one in China, one in Italy and one in France. The one in the Netherlands, Frans Meijers was part of the construction of the Dutch Intersect. He was in close contact with Orion, who developed the original Intersect. He can give you more information about the scope of the project, and hopefully some information on Orion's habits. Maybe he knows where Orion would be hiding. You should be able to find him somewhere in Amsterdam. I can't tell you much more than that, other than the fact that when you find him, you should tell him that you were sent by Blackbriar. He'll trust you."

Sarah grabbed her legal pad, and started writing everything down. She'd already figure out a way to get in touch with these people. She'd simply contact the local secret service. The only problem would be their contact in China. But Sarah figured that maybe Alex could help her in that department. After all, the guy never did seem to have a lack of connections in the government world.

"My contact in China, Xiao-Ling will be a lot harder to track. She's literally a ghost. I honestly can't help you with finding her. But seeing as how you've got access to C.I.A. resources, maybe they'll be able to help you."

Chuck's head was spinning. They were going to make such a humongous trip. The Netherlands, China, Italy and France… He'd always dreamt of seeing France. And Italy was such beautiful country. He found himself to be like a boy in a candy shop. The only issue he had was trying to make sure that Bryce would never find out.

"Italy will be a lot easier for you. My contact, Michele de Luca lives in the Via del Salvatore, close to the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. You should be able to find him in the phone book, relatively easily."

"My last contact is Jean Reno, in France…"

Chuck burst out laughing. "Really, Jean Reno? That has to be a joke right?"

But Shaw remained stone-faced. "Not at all. It's a code name. I have no idea why he chose it, and frankly, I couldn't care less. Anyway, he's part of the French Secret Service as well, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them."

Sarah finished writing, and started packing up her things. Chuck stood up.

"Mr. Shaw. Thank you so much for your time, and thank you for telling us what you knew. We'll make sure that what happened to you won't go un-avenged. And you're right. The Intersect is too powerful for a mere mortal. And after it's all said and done, Sarah and I will make sure that you get the recognition that you deserve, in keeping safe this country and its values."

Shaw nodded. "I just hope that it works out."

"One more question, Mr. Shaw." Chuck began. "Would you happen to know anything about a Bryce Larkin?"

Shaw thought about it for a moment. "No, sorry. Can't say that I have. But I'll poke around for you, and see what I find out. I'll call you when I get something."

"Thank you, Mr. Shaw."

"I do have one final request to make for you two."

Sarah spoke up. "Sure, anything."

Shaw sighed. "Would you mind taking me for a walk?

Bryce sat listening intently to the discussion between Shaw, Chuck and Sarah. From the reports that Bryce had read during his time in the C.I.A., Shaw had known about the Intersect project. But it wasn't until Shaw had found out the true power behind the thing that he tried to make a conscious effort to stop it. He actually went semi-rogue to try and get it destroyed. He had been travelling all over the world, meeting with various people to find out the most amount of information from it. When he had finally pieced together where the Intersect was located, the C.I.A. burned Shaw. They had fabricated the shooting, just as Shaw had expected. The gangrene was an added bonus. The C.I.A. considered finishing the job, but it didn't matter. No one would believe the insane ramblings of Daniel Shaw anyway. After all, the first time that Bryce had heard about the Intersect, he had responded in the same way as most of the people who heard about it did. He had laughed, called the people who were telling him the story insane and left it at that. Imagine his surprise, when it turned out that the Intersect was in fact real.

But the more that Bryce listened to Shaw divulge information, the more he got frustrated. Shaw knew a lot. And if he'd call them with the information he could get on Bryce, his whole plan would be disintegrated. Luckily, he had a back-up plan. He picked up his phone, and hit the speed-dial.

"Black Coat secure. I've got a target for you… Daniel Shaw… I don't care how you do it… Just make sure he can't reach Walker and Bartowski again… Great…"

But overall, Bryce was very pleased with the progression. He knew what Walker and Chuck were planning now. They were going to try and destroy it. Which played perfectly into Bryce's plan of getting Chuck to protect Walker, whilst Bryce was going to do God knows what to her. Well, he knew, but gentleman didn't kiss and tell. Bryce stood up, and got dressed. Time to pick up some random girl… He was in the mood for a blonde.

Chuck and Sarah were pushing along Shaw, as he guided them through the streets of D.C. He had grabbed a bouquet of flowers, with a letter attached to them. The weather was pleasant and Chuck and Sarah found themselves oddly enjoying the walk. Shaw was decent company, that is, if he wasn't looking at Sarah like he seemed to be rather intent on doing. But it gave Chuck a great opportunity to curl his arm around her waist, and she seemed to rather enjoy it. So it was a win-win situation.

Finally, Shaw told them to stop. They were standing in front of a liquor store. Shaw rolled forward, and dropped the flowers at a lamp post. He turned around, and focused on the pair of journalists. "This is the place where I have lost everything that's dear to me. This is where I died. I come here once a year to commemorate it."

"That makes… morbid sense." Chuck quipped.

Shaw chuckled. "Well, it does to me anyway. I don't know, I guess I was just born to be sentimental about these kind of things. So, on to a more cheerful subject. Would you like to join me for a couple of drinks?"

Chuck looked to Sarah, who nodded. "Sure, we'd love to."

Shaw guided them to a small French café. They all got coffee and just talked. Chuck silently prayed for them not to broach Shaw's injuries. He may have made a couple of jokes about the guy, but he wasn't all that bad. So yeah, maybe he did look like a prick, but he was actually an okay guy if you got to know him. Still, Chuck got a few jokes in. Some of them flew straight over Shaw and Sarah's head, which Chuck attributed to poor knowledge of pop-culture, but most of them got them laughing.

Sarah was having a good time as well. So, maybe she'd rather have some more alone time with Chuck. But this wasn't half bad. And if she was honest with herself, and this Shaw guy still had his limbs… Well, let's just say that he'd definitely have a shot with her before Chuck had come along. Sadly for him, Chuck had in fact come along, so that ship had sailed long ago. But it didn't hurt that he still leered at her. It made Chuck instantly defensive, which in turn got him to touch her… Which led to thoughts that she honestly wasn't all that proud of.

All in all, the day was a pretty productive one. They had gotten the names of people who were at least involved in the project, which was infinitely better than what they had amassed from the Major. And who knew, maybe the major had in fact dug up some of his own interesting information. As they slowly made their way back to Shaw's house, the conversation kept flowing easy, never once getting close to the awkward subject of Shaw's injuries. They said their goodbyes in front of the house, and stepped in a cab. As the cab disappeared from sight, Shaw turned and entered his house.

Shaw sensed something was wrong. As he moved his wheelchair around the house, nothing seemed to be touched, yet it was somehow different. As he went into his bedroom, he found the sheets made. But he never made them. However, Shaw stayed calm. He always figured this day would come. The cold tip of a blade was put against his throat. Shaw was glad it was all about to be over. "So this is how it ends, huh? Came to finish the job your C.I.A. buddies started?"

"Not really. I'm not C.I.A. So what did you tell those two reporters?"

Shaw grinned. "Everything I knew. So, if we're going to do this thing, we might as well exchange pleasantries, right? What can I call you?"

The assassin grunted. "You can call me White Shadow."

Shaw's eyes widened. "You're real?"

White Shadow coughed. Well, it could've been construed as a laugh, but only if you tried. "I'm very real. One doesn't just give this kind of fame to a phantom. Although, technically, you could say that I am one."

Shaw sighed in resignation. "So what happens now?"

"You die. Don't worry, it won't be painful. Just a simple slice through the carotid. You shouldn't feel a thing."

"And the reporters?"

"Once they find it, their lives will be over."

Shaw took a deep breath. "Oh well, at least I won't be around to see this world go to hell."

White Shadow grunted in agreement. "Nope." With a quick flick of the wrist, Shaw's carotid artery burst open, blood pouring out. The assassin got out a handkerchief, and cleaned the knife. As he stored the knife in its holster, he whipped out his mobile phone, and dialed speed-dial 1.

"White Shadow, secure… The leak has been plugged… I made it quick… Whatever he knew… I'm not going on the same flight… They'll be heading back to Burbank… Yes, I'll be there… I kind of have to be, don't I? …Don't lecture me, Black Coat, I am still your superior… Well, maybe if you'd get of your ass once in a while it wouldn't take so long… Yes, I'll see you in L.A. White Shadow out."

He placed the mobile phone back in his pocket and sneaked out. Shaw's lifeless body left slumped in his wheelchair.

Chuck and Sarah had finally gotten back to their hotel room. They had decided to spend the rest of the day in the hotel room, just watching TV and taking some time for themselves. Chuck was surprised to find Sarah cuddling into him, but as always, he couldn't really find it in himself to throw up an objection. He didn't even try.

They were lying in bed, and Sarah had decided to cut out the middle man, and just simply snuggle up to Chuck. They were going to be ending up in that position anyway, why not be awake when it happened, she reasoned.

When dawn broke, Sarah was once again awakened by the virgin rays of the sun. She had to admit, she slept a lot better when Chuck was lying next to her. Yet another plus point for the man. She was pretty sure he was nearing triple digits. She got up, and after putting on a bath robe, she padded on down to the reception. After leaving the message she double-timed back to her room, and all but dived back in Chuck's arms, which immediately secured her into a warm and snuggly fit. She almost instantly fell back asleep.

They were awakened by a knock on the door. Chuck moved on to open the door while Sarah started putting on some simple clothes.

"Hey mmmfph." Chuck was instantly silenced by a massive hand on his mouth. Sarah walked in, and saw the tableau. An arched eyebrow perfectly formulated her question. Casey pulled out a small device, and began walking through the hotel room. He stopped at a few items, and bent down to touch them it seemed. He walked to the coffee table, and grabbed a legal pad. He laid four small disc-like objects down on the table, and wrote on the pad.

Audio-surveillance bugs. C.I.A.?

Sarah walked up to the notepad, and wrote down a question mark. As she looked over her shoulder, she saw that Chuck had connected the dots, and the amount of danger they were currently in. She shooed him out of the door, whilst throwing him his phone. She nodded, and he nodded back, indicating that he had understood her meaning.

Her phone went twelve seconds later.

"Sarah Walker speaking."

"Sarah, what are we going to do? Bryce must've heard everything!" Chuck shouted franticly.

"Oh, hey Ellie. Calm down…

"Calm down? How can I calm down? Oh God, Bryce heard us saying that we were going to destroy the Intersect. We're going to be hunted down by the freaking C.I.A."

"Ellie, I'm sure that if that was the case, it would've already happened, don't you think?"

Sarah grabbed the legal pad, and scribbled on it. She turned it to Casey.

Can you disable them?

Casey nodded, and started opening up the small discs.

"Hey, Ellie. I've got to go. Trust me, just calm down, and it'll all be fine in a couple of minutes."

She heard Chuck take a deep breath. "Gotcha. Sorry I panicked, Sarah."

"Don't worry, Ellie. That's what friends are for."

"Wow, you're pretty good at this, Sarah."

"Thanks Ellie. But I've got to, we'll talk later, I promise."

Finally Casey gave the okay, and Sarah opened up the door. Chuck was standing in the hallway.

"You're surprisingly good at that on the fly lying, Sarah."

"What can I say…? I learned from the best." The statement was given with a grin, but Chuck sensed an underlying tone of melancholy.

He walked up to her. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh? What? Yeah, I'm fine."

"You know that you're not a con-woman anymore."

"… How'd you know?"

"Please. I got to watch you for the past 6 months. I like to think that over time, I do pick up some stuff."

That finally got him the smile he had been looking for. He was pretty sure that one of Sarah's smiles could very well cure cancer. But if it was up to him, he'd keep it all to himself. He was egotistical like that.

Casey grunted. Chuck decided to interpret it as something along the lines of: "If we're all done devouring ice cream, and watching Meg Ryan movies, I'd like to actually form a plan so that we don't all end up six feet under." Chuck was amazed at how oddly specific the man could grunt.

"I've spoken with General Beckman. She's the head of the N.S.A. I've informed her of a C.I.A. operation being run by two civilians tasked to retrieve the Intersect. But she hasn't heard of anyone confirming the mission. I told her about Larkin, and she promised that she would instigate an investigation. As for you two. You are to return to Burbank until further notice."

"Alex… I mean, John… Are you saying that…?"

"Yeah, I'm an N.S.A. agent. But I've sort of retired from active field duty. But it's okay. I'm keeping my promise to your father."

"Major Casey," Chuck started, who had grown accustomed to the second name far more quickly than Sarah had. "We've gotten a few contacts from Daniel Shaw. They were the leads he used to find out about the Intersect in the first place. We can use our C.I.A. association to track them down, and ask them about it."

"Listen, moron. At this point in time, there is no C.I.A. association. You're to return to Burbank and lie low for a while. Report to Larkin, and do as if there's nothing wrong. Those bugs were most likely planted by Larkin to keep track of you. So whatever you do, do not tip him off that you know. I've modified the bugs to send a looped signal from when you were sleeping." Casey turned towards the bugs.

"Listen numbnuts, you flip this switch, and then act as if you've just woken up. As far as Larkin is concerned, I was never here. Keep that in mind, got it?"

"Yes, Sir." Chuck threw in a mock salute.

He identified the grunt as something along the lines of: "I'll throw you out of the window if you're not careful."

"Alright. I'll be heading back to Burbank. You two stay here for another day and then come back. We'll discuss our next steps then." Casey said. With that, he turned around, and walked out of the room, leaving Chuck and Sarah to prepare going home again.

The next day was rather uneventful. Chuck and Sarah had decided to visit a few more highlights of the city, and had a nice candle-lit dinner afterwards. As they crashed into bed, both were excited to be returning to Burbank. Well, Chuck was excited, and Sarah got excited because he was. It was an odd relationship the two shared, but it definitely worked for them.

As they were lying in bed that night, Sarah was once again putting herself in a comfortable position. Which meant that Chuck had his arms filled with her. He still couldn't seem to throw up any objections. But it did remind him of a topic they needed to discuss. "Sarah?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk."

Sarah looked up, and he could see her eyes sparkle with mirth.

"Only 6 days after the first date, and we're having this conversation already? That has to be a new record."

Chuck started laughing. "No, no. It's nothing like that. It's just… We're going back home tomorrow… But, what about our sleeping arrangements?"

"What about them?"

"Well, I kind of like sleeping with you. NEXT TO YOU! I meant… I did mean… I don't know." The blush that had been missing for a while returned with a mighty roar that left Chuck trembling.

He could feel Sarah shaking with laughter. He tried to suppress a grin. He failed.

"I'll tell you what. When we get back, you'll go to your apartment, and I'll go to mine. We reconvene the day after and make a decision then, okay?"

"Fine, but I'm pretty sure I already know where my vote is going to be."

"I've got an inkling myself. Good night Chuck."

"Good night, Sarah."

Sarah's body fell slack, and her breathing increased. After what could've been decades or minutes, Chuck wasn't sure, she slowly started mumbling in her sleep. Chuck thought it was adorable. So he scooted closer a bit. What he heard her mumble, gave him more joy than he had ever thought possible.

"I love you too, Chuck."

The flight home was filled with a lot less anxiety and heartfelt emotions than the flight to D.C. When they were up in the air, Chuck couldn't help but share his thoughts. "Well, that went a lot better than I thought it would."

Sarah laughed. "Yeah, you only crushed my hand once, and that was for three minutes at most."

Chuck joined her in laughing. "I think that deserves a reward, don't you."

Sarah's eyes sparkled, knowing what was coming. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

Chuck reached over, and dipped her as much as was humanly possible. He pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss. When they both extracted themselves from one another, both were heavily panting.

"I'm thinking that this whole reward thing you've got going on is a brilliant idea, Chuck." Sarah panted.

"Oh yeah, I've been known to have my bright moments." Chuck quipped. Just then, the P.A. came on.

"Ladies and gentleman, please fasten your seatbelts. We are about to make our final approach to Bob Hope Airport."

Welcome home.

A/N 2: "OMG, SHAW IS SO OOC!" Yep. I chose to make him like that for a reason. One: it made it possible for me to get a couple of much needed digs in at Season 3, and Shaw's obviously crap plot of killing Sarah. And two: The guy is limbless. What the hell has he got going for him? Nothing, so I figured I might as well try and make him a bit less of a douche. I'm kind like that. And besides, he's dead now so it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, that's the end of the Washington arc. Now, it's back to Burbank for some much needed family time… And more developments on the Charah front. The time-change in Burbank will be bigger, they might be staying there for maybe a month (which would make more sense with the development on said Charah front) but I'll probably only spend a chapter there. Also, I'm taking at least the next 24 hours for myself, as my imagination has taken me as far as I can go, and I need to recharge. Maybe I should watch some SpongeBob or something, he never runs out of imagination. If you like the story, please leave a review saying you do. It does motivate me a lot more than you might think. And if you're wondering, yes, you can leave a review if you're not logged in or don't have an account. It's okay, I won't judge you either way.