A/N: hello everyone…and how is everyone today?…no, really, I want to know. After reading this, hit that review thing and talk to me…I'll listen…I really do care…or I'll leave the illusion of caring…which ever is easier for me…sure I'm shallow but I do appreciate your continued support…that's why I keep stabbing these keys…hoping to provide some entertainment…and hoping to be discovered…I heard that's how Billy Shakespeare got started…no really…I think I read that in wikipedia… JT

As I seem to be overly and needlessly proud of, this mess is done without a beta…you should see the smile as I typed those words…the smile of the village idiot…blissfully unaware…yup, that's me. Make the idiot smile…Review…good or bad, it doesn't matter…the mere presence of mail in my inbox gives me that smile.

Thanks Jim.

Sarah Vs. The Strong Swimmer Chapter 17

Major John Casey backed slowly into his apartment, his eyes never leaving the blue eyes that were boring into his. The cold fury he saw reflected in those eyes left him with a feeling he hadn't experienced in years…fear. If he was honest with himself, the last time a woman's stare had left him feeling anything like this, he'd been standing over the shattered remains of one of his grandmother's beloved Hummels. That event had left him unable to sit for over a week and he believed that there was a chance that the bundle of hormonal wrath, currently standing in front of him, looked two or three times as pissed as 'meemaw' had been.

"Bartowski? Chuck? What did you do?" Casey asked, balanced on the balls of his feet with his arms held in a loose but defensive position. He was prepared but still didn't see the blow coming, leaving his right shin feeling like someone had taken a hammer to it. "Dammit, Walker…was that really necessary?"

"I don't know, Casey. Why don't you tell me everything you said to my boyfriend this morning, and if I was out of line, I'll apologize." Sarah said with a calm voice that carried an undeniably scary tone.

Casey glanced quickly towards Chuck and noted that his ear was still held tightly in Sarah's fingers. He could try to lie but he knew that the asset couldn't lie…not that he wouldn't…he just couldn't. Walker would know right away and that would just compound the problem. With a shrug, he turned and started walking towards the kitchen, hoping that a 'handful' of the moron would discourage any attacks. The blade that suddenly 'sprouted' from the doorframe inches from his head made him stop and turn back around.

"What the hell, Walker? Are you crazy?"

"Crazy?…No, Casey…I'm not crazy…I just thought that you had forgotten that we were talking…in fact, you were about to tell me what was discussed on the jog this morning" Sarah answered as she walked across the apartment to retrieve her knife, leaving Chuck and Casey frozen in place, both of them unsure what to do. "Well, Casey…I'm still waiting…"

"Alright, alright…we mostly talked about the mission this afternoon…running through possible scenarios, making suggestions…and…uh…Bartowski sorta hinted about asking you some question…and I…decided to yank his chain by telling him you were running all the 'proposal pools' and …" Casey stammered to a stop as Sarah crossed the distance between them and grabbed his ear, pulling him down so she could glare into his eyes.

"Did Chuck actually say he was going to propose?" she hissed, her grip on his ear eliciting a small yelp from the NSA agent.

"Dammit, Walker…that hurts…and no, he didn't."

"Well…what did he say…exactly?"

"Sarah? You do realize that I'm standing right here…" Chuck started and then fell quiet when a flaming pair of blue eyes glanced his way. "…uh, sorry. I'll just be quiet and …yeah, I'll stand right here, being quiet."

"Thank you" Sarah replied before turning her attention back to the victim of her current 'earlock'. "So, Casey, Chuck didn't actually mention the word proposal?"

"No" Casey answered and then stepped back when the hold on his ear was suddenly released.. "Jesus, Walker…that …well, that wasn't pleasant."

"It wasn't supposed to be pleasant…now, Chuck…join us please" Sarah said over her shoulder before turning back to face Casey. "So, major, what about this other thing you talked about?"

"The…uh, proposal pools?" Chuck asked.

"Chuck" Sarah answered, a smile on her face. "there are no proposal pools…"

Oh…ok then…everything's all cleared then…"

"Not so fast…" Sarah whispered, looking at the two men standing in front of her. "…let's talk about this 'new third'…well, I'm waiting."

"Well…um…I…Casey?" Chuck managed to stammer out before he found something on the floor that fascinated him and decided to stare at it.

"Thanks a lot, moron" Casey said with a disgusted look in Chuck's direction. "I pointed out to your 'donor' that, pretty soon, you wouldn't be able to do field work and we needed to figure out what to do about a new 'third' for the team."

"And?" Sarah asked in a calm voice.

"And…I suggested that Miller might be a good replacement. She's worked with us before and she's very aware of your desire to keep the asset safe."

"That's also very true. I agree with your reasoning. Remember, I agreed to allow you to determine when my 'condition' didn't let me perform to the best of my abilities."

"Well…what the hell's the pro…ow! Walker, what the hell?" Casey asked as he reached for his now sore left shin.

"The problem, boys" Sarah hissed as she moved very quickly to grab both of their ears, "is that you didn't discuss this with me…first. Next time…" she said as she pulled both of them towards her, "…you both will include me in any discussions about the team. Understood?" she finished as she released the ears she had been holding captive. Stepping back, she looked at both of her partners who were rubbing their ears. "Understood?" she asked again as she took a threatening step forwards.

"Yes!" both Casey and Chuck blurted out as the stepped backwards.

"Good…I'm glad we got that cleared up. Chuck? You need that shower and I'll have your breakfast waiting. Casey? We'll see you this afternoon" Sarah said as she led Chuck towards the door.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Chuck saw the relief and confusion in Casey's eyes, the same look he was sure was visible in his own. Breaking the contact, he looked down and found Sarah smiling back at him, her hand gripping his as she pulled him along. Returning the smile, he couldn't help but wonder about what had just happened, sure he had missed something but, if he was honest with himself, afraid to ask.

-00-0-0-0-0-0

Chuck and Sarah watched as guests milled around the pool and three service bars. The early afternoon sun glistened off the sunscreen that most of the people seemed to be wearing. Since their arrival at Peyman's Malibu estate, Casey had been offering his observations through the ear pieces they both wore, most of the comments related to their mission which he was monitoring form the house next door. The owners of the house had accepted a gift cruise from the government in exchange for the use of their home for the day and Casey had spent most of the morning setting up the equipment needed to keep an eye on things.

"Heads up, team. The host has finally made his appearance. Check your six…" Casey's voice alerted them.

Turning slowly, they watched as Peyman Ah Lahee wandered through his guests, stopping to exchange greetings with various people, a handshake here…a hug or kiss there. He seemed to know most of the people scattered around the deck and was ready with a smile for anyone introduced to him.

"It's true…" Chuck whispered into Sarah's ear, "…there are definitely people who should never wear speedos, or even go shirtless, for that matter."

Sarah almost shivered, the feel of Chuck's breath on her neck giving her a delicious feeling. Forcing herself to focus, she clamped down the feelings coursing thru her and turned to look at her nerd. "Chuck" she said softly, "let's take a walk and see if we can give ourselves a tour of the house."

"Sounds good" he answered and followed as Sarah started towards the far end of the house. Casey had already let them know that he'd disarmed the house's security system, remotely, and they should be able to gain entrance through one of the doors located at the side of the residence. As they walked slowly, taking the time to exchange greetings here and there, Chuck slid his hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the small, velvet pouch that held his future. He'd been carrying the ring for over a month now and still hadn't found the 'perfect' setting to ask Sarah if she'd be willing to change her last name. He was sure that she'd say yes…she even hinted at it several times but he just hadn't had that perfect setting. A sudden squeeze of his hand snapped him back to reality and he looked around as Sarah opened one of the house's side doors. Not noticing anyone paying attention, he allowed himself to be drawn inside, making sure that the door closed behind them.

Minutes later, they found themselves staring into a room, the center of which was dominated by a pedestal supporting a diamond that looked to be as big as a mandarin orange. About to step into the room, their ear pieces suddenly came to life.

"Hold it!" Casey's voice commanded. "Ok…you're clear now. Had to shut down a nasty surprise in the pedestal…in case either of you touched the rock…back to work."

"Thanks Casey" Sarah offered as she stepped into the room. Chuck joined her as she stared at the diamond, his hand back in his pocket.

"So, what do you think?" Chuck asked, trying to keep his tone light. "It's beautiful, right?"

"I suppose…" she answered as she turned and locked her eyes on his, "…but there is really only one diamond that I would love to see."

"Oh really? What diamond would that be?" he responded with a smile.

"The one in your pocket, Chuck."

"What?…I don't have a…how did you know?" he asked as he pulled the pouch from his pocket and pulled the ring out.

"I'm a spy, remember? I've known since you first brought it home…I've just been waiting."

"Well, let's see if it fits" Chuck said with a smile as he reached for her hand.

"Not so fast…" Sarah said with a smirk, "…aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?…I…uh…" Chuck stammered to a stop, clearly confused.

"Moron!" Casey's voice announced thru the ear piece. "It's bad enough that you're costing me the pool…if I have to tell you what to say…"

"Shut up, Casey" Chuck whispered. "Hey…what pool?"

"Chuck?" Sarah asked, looking concerned. "What is Casey telling you?"

"It's nothing, Sarah. He just called me a moron and he's right because I forgot to do this" he replied as he dropped to a knee. "Sarah Walker…I know it's not the most romantic setting, but I love you and …will you marry me?" he finished as he held up the ring, surprised to see tears in Sarah's eyes.

"Of course I will!" she answered as she offered her hand. She watched as Chuck, despite the fact that his hands were trembling, managed to slide the ring onto her finger.

Before either of them could say anything else, Casey's voice interrupted their moment. "Great…now that you've gotten that out of the way, can we get back to the mission?…Wait, I've lost the furry little troll…oh crap…heads up… he's about to crash the party."

The sound of a gun being cocked followed, almost perfectly, Casey's warning. They both looked to the doorway to find Peyman Ah Lahee, flanked by two of his security guards, staring at them with a smile on his face.

"So…you broke into my home to propose?"

Chuck got to his feet and took a step forward, putting himself in front of Sarah. "Uh…no sir.." Chuck answered. "…the door was open and we were looking for a the restroom and…"

"…and we saw this beautiful room…and that amazing diamond, and…" Sarah took over as she stepped in front of Chuck.

"…and I hoped that my girlfriend would like my diamond better…" Chuck continued as he stepped back in front of Sarah.

"I need you both to stop moving…now!" Peyman said as he gestured to one of his goons who then pulled out his phone and hit a few buttons and then stared, intently, at the screen. While the bodyguard waited for some sort of response from the phone, Peyman stepped over to a touchpad , keyed in a series of numbers, and waited...never taking his eyes off of Sarah.

Before Chuck could say or do anything, Casey's voice was once again in his ear. "Stay calm…I'm on my way to you." Looking at Sarah, he saw her give a slight nod, indicating that she'd gotten the message and agreed, even going so far as to seem to relax.

"Hey, boss…" the 'phone-goon' said, looking up from the screen in his hand. "…it looks like the whole system is down…locks, alarms, cameras…everything."

"Yes…that would seem to be the case." Peyman answered, frustration evident in his voice. "…damn junk. I knew I should have monitored the installation myself…not leave it to you. Let me guess, you had those 'geek squad' idiots back out…even after that pair nearly electrocuted themselves trying to install that flat screen in the wet bar by the pool. Is that about right?"

"Well…yes, boss. They gave a discount to make up for the earlier problems…"

"Excuse me, sir? If I may offer my help?" Chuck said, as a small plan started to form. " I happen to have my own company that specializes in custom electronic systems and installations, some very similar to your own. I would be happy to take a look…"

"What kind of a fool do you take me for? You broke into my home and now I should trust you with my alarm system?"

"We told you, sir…the door was open and we were just looking for the bathroom…" Chuck began their story again.

"Yes…yes…I remember all of that. And why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because…well, because it's the truth?" Chuck offered, opting for something simple instead of a drawn out reason. "And, if I can fix it for you…I'll only charge you half price…after all, my girlfriend just agreed to marry me so I'm in a pretty good mood…despite the whole 'gun pointing' thing." Chuck ignored the growling in his ear, focusing instead on gun pointed at him instead.

"Well, that certainly is a generous offer…" Peyman said with a smirk, "…first thing …who invited you to my house?"

"Uh…my niece Juanita and her…friend , Denette" Chuck answered, changing girlfriend to friend at the last moment after he remembered that the two women's lifestyle choice was frowned upon by many in the middle east.

"Ah, yes…now I remember…you were at the beach last weekend, talking with them…yes?"

"Yes…that's right." Chuck answered, feeling a little of the tension leave the room. "My name is Chuck" he said, extending his hand. "and this is my gir…fiancée, Sarah" he finished with a smile, realizing just how much he liked the sound of the word fiancé…especially sine it referred to one Sarah Walker.

"Ok…Chuck. I will give you fifteen minutes with this system. I will be watching closely." Peyman said as he took a step away from the keypad, motioning for him to step forward.

"I hope you're as good as you think you are, Bartowski" Casey's voice whispered in his ear. "I'm close by, if you two need anything…well, just let me know."

-00-00-0-0-00-

Just as the ten minute mark passed, Chuck gave a triumphant 'yes' and then stepped away from the keypad. Turning with a smile, he motioned for Peyman to step closer. Looking over his shoulder, he winked at Sarah and then turned back to explain what he'd done, promising his latest customer that his system was now working as it had been designed.

Less than ten minutes later, Chuck and Sarah walked back out onto the rear deck, a smiling Peyman Ah Lahee gently guiding them both as he introduced them to his guests. Offering a brief recap of the engagement and then touting Chuck's computer skills, Peyman seemed intent on introducing everyone to the happy couple and, more importantly, encouraging everyone to call Chuck for any computer related problems. In what seemed like no time at all, Sarah had given out all of their business cards and Chuck had flashed almost a dozen times. Luckily, Chuck was wearing sun glasses so the usual facial tic wasn't noticeable but Sarah knew, and she was beginning to get worried. She knew that the flashs left Chuck with a headache and she was sure that his head must be hurting him…a lot. Making up her mind, she announced to Peyman her need to get her fiancé home so they could get ready for a dinner with Chuck's sister.

"Well, if you must go, you must go" Peyman responded to Sarah's announcement. ":Remember, you are always welcome here. And if I, or any of my friends, have computer problems…your company will be my first call."

"Thank you so much, Peyman" Sarah answered as she wrapped her arm around Chuck's waist and started towards the front of the house.

"The car's ready" Casey's voice sounded in their ears. "I just watched the valet bring it around. I'll see you two back at the apartment. Great work today…both of you. Bartowski, you have got to be the luckiest man I know…but I'm still pissed about the pool. I'm gonna ask Ellie who won…see you soon."

Chuck looked at his fiancé, a question in his eyes. Seeing Sarah smile, he simply decided to wait for the explanation…hopefully after he managed to take the edge off of the headache that was threatening to bring tears to his eyes.

"Take me home, Sarah. My head is splitting and only your tender loving care will help." Chuck said as they exited the house, making their way to the wagon. "I won't even complain about your driving. Just, please, get me home."

"Yes Chuck, 'tender loving care'?…I think I can handle that. Let's get you home."

-00-0-0-0-0-

Casey watched as the wagon pulled away from the front of the house and then fell in behind, shaking his head as he recalled the afternoon's mission. "Only Bartowski" he mumbled to himself. The general wasn't going to believe his report…hell, he couldn't believe it. Sure, they didn't get the diamond but they ended up with something that Casey was sure was even more valuable…an in into Peyman Ah Lahee's world…and he was sure that the General would like that.

A/N: I know…sorta disjointed…reviews are a kindness…unless you hated this chapter…no, go ahead…be honest…as I've said before, I'm wearing my big boy shorts…I can take the truth…I just can't take codliver oil…man, I'm tired. JT