A/N: hey there…Some new Swimmer for ya…and I've got several pages of TRFW written, just waiting for a few more and then the typing fun before I post. Hope you like this…I sorta had fun doing that writery thing with it…as I am fond of saying, your reviews are always welcome…good or bad….just hit that thingie at the bottom of the page…wow, hot day today…Shut It, Prince Boo Boo, I don't want to hear it!…besides, in my sun weakened state, I just might forget my pronise and start posting those pictures of that 'Teddy Bare Picnic' you threw last weekend(no, that isn't a typo…he really is that twisted)…gotta go. JT

Don't own Chuck or it's environs. Not making money doing this. No Beta so all errors are mine!

Still having fun. Jim, thanks for the nudge.

Sarah Vs. The Strong Swimmer - Chapter 24

Sarah Walker looked down at the clipboard that was sitting in front of her and smiled at the sudden flashback to Junior high. While she had been watching the bank of monitors in front of her, she'd unconsciously picked up a pen and had been writing Sarah Bartowski, over and over. Thinking back to her junior high days, she realized that she had never spent the time to change her name to some boys…she'd changed her name too many times as it was but she remembered watching .

Shaking her head to clear the memories, she glanced back at the monitors and could immediately tell by the tilt and angle of Carina's button cam that she had a fire she needed to put out. "Carina" she spoke into the mic, "stop staring at what I know you're staring at!"

"Walker, calm down, I'm not staring at Chuck's ass, his tux jacket is in the way."

"Carina, I'm not going to argue with you about where your eyes shouldn't be. Remember what's directly below your eyes and remember how easily it can be broken. If you don't want a threepeat, just keep your eyes open and keep your mind on the job. We have at least one MI6 agent present and, possibly, La Ciudad."

"I got it, Walker. I'll keep him safe."

'You better' she said to herself knowing that, when it came down to it, Carina would do her job. Shifting her view, she checked the other cameras they'd tapped in to and watched as Chuck and Carina made their way to the bar. She had to admit to herself that Chuck really did look scrumptious in a tux and she couldn't blame Carina for looking but that didn't mean she had to tolerate it.

As she watched, her partners reached the bar and she listened as they placed their drink orders with a smirking Casey who promptly ignored Chuck's request for a martini, placing

a Shirley Temple in front of him. She smiled when she realized that it looked like the two of them had gotten past the tenseness from earlier in the day and, maybe, they'd settled back into the light teasing and jokes. She remembered the afternoon's meeting where the four of them had tried to plan and make sure they had everything ready for that night. The team had decided that Chuck would use a cover name despite the slim possibility that he might run into some one he knew or, maybe, one of their clients.

'Charles Carmichael' he'd announced when Casey had asked if he had a name he might want to use. Sarah had been sitting in his lap and had turned to look into his eyes, surprised with the quick response. He'd smiled and answered the unasked question that her eyes had held, explaining that he might have thought about 'Mr. Carmichael…once or twice. The 'he' had graduated from Stanford, started his own software company and retired within five years after his company's meteoric rise and subsequent sale.

'Not bad' Casey had said, clearly impressed with the cover. The rest of the meeting had gone smoothly and Sarah had decided that Chuck's lap was one of her favorite places to be for a meeting…especially when a little wiggling on her part would leave her fiancé with a blush on his face after she'd whisper into his ear, asking him if he had a gun in his pocket or was he just happy to see her. The sound of Chuck's voice snapped her back to the mission.

"Thanks, Jorge" she heard Chuck say, deliberately mis-pronouncing the GEORGE on Casey's name tag, sounding a little snarky about the drink switch.

"My pleasure, Mr. Carmichael" Casey had answered with just enough sarcasm. "I don't like serving alcohol to pregnant women."

"I'm not pregnant"

"That's too easy." Sarah heard Casey mutter as he wandered away, looking for his next customer as he scanned the room, constantly alert for anything out of the ordinary. She watched as Chuck turned and did his own scan of the room while he pretended to point something out to Carina. She noticed right away when he flashed and switched her observation to Carina's button cam as he aimed her towards the man he'd spotted.

"That's our MI6 agent" he whispered into Carina's ear when he leaned in, pretending to be an attentive date. She watched as the red head gave Chuck's cheek a quick kiss and then wandered towards the man he'd pointed out to her. Switching the camera she was using, Sarah watched as Carina approached the man and struck up a conversation. She noted the subtle signal the man gave to one of the men standing near him and the next thing she knew, Carina had a well concealed gun in the small of her back and she was following the MI6 agent out of the room.

"Casey, Carina's got a new friend" Sarah spoke into her mic as she swiveled the camera to follow where her partner was being directed.

"Yeah, I noticed. I'm on it. Chuck, stay right there." Casey said as he made his way to the end of the bar and then walked away, following the Carina and her 'escort'. Sarah used the hotel's camera to follow her partners while she placed a call to the 'bosses', informing them of a possible situation. While she was concentrating on keeping an eye on Carina and Casey, she failed to notice the striking brunette who had walked up to the bar and was now standing next to Chuck.

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After Casey had hurried away, Chuck had turned around and was standing with his back against the edge of the bar, scanning the entire room slowly. He noticed a rather striking looking brunette who was inspecting one of the paintings that were to be auctioned later in the evening. For some reason, the woman looked up and seemed to make eye contact with him. He watched as the woman slowly made her way across the room, heading straight towards where he was standing. Looking quickly to either side and finding no one standing there, he began to wonder what he'd done to attract her attention when she was within ten feet of him and showed no signs of having any destination other than him. He turned slightly as the woman stepped up to the bar right next to him, standing close enough for him to catch a faint hint of whatever perfume she was wearing. After getting the bartenders attention and ordering a mojito, the woman turned and with a smile on her lips, spoke to him.

"I don't mean to be forward but may I have the bartender refresh your drink for you?"

"Of course" Chuck said, offering his glass to the young man behind the bar.

"My name is Malena" the woman said, offering her hand.

"My name is Chu…Charles, Charles Carmichael ." Chuck said as he took the woman's hand and gently kissed the back, hoping that the little gesture didn't 'set off' the 'blonde bomb-shell' that had been quiet for the last few minutes. When his action didn't result in any shrieks or hisses, he figured that she was 'ok' with his behavior since it was a mission. He thanked the woman next to him for the drink. "So, Malena, what brings you out tonight? Planning to bid on one of the paintings?"

"Why so curious, Mr. Carmichael?" the brunette asked, a suddenly serious look in her eyes.

Chuck knew he had to back off or risk offending the woman he was talking with. "I apologize, Malena. I was simply making small talk."

There was a brief lull in the music and then Chuck recognized the opening notes of the classic tango. "Ah yes, the tango" Chuck said, to no one in particular.

"Do you?" Malena asked.

"Do I what? Tango?" Chuck asked and when his ear piece remained silent he decided that he had clearance. "Sure. I mean, yes, that would be very nice." he replied as he took her hand and lead her towards the dance floor. Chuck had learned how to tango from an elderly woman who taught at the 'Y' and wasn't ready for the 'tango' that Malena was about to introduce him to…and Malena wasn't ready for the 'force of nature' that was soon to ruin her evening.

While Chuck and his dance partner were taking their first steps, Sarah was watching as Casey and Carina were straightening out the mis-understanding between the NSA, the CIA and MI6. As soon as Sarah had contacted Director Graham and General Beckman, they had reached across the 'pond' and asked MI6 to contact their agent and have him stand down. Casey, gun in hand, had caught up with Carina and her 'escort' just as the MI6 agent had received a call from his 'boss. A couple of minutes later, all of the agents were exchanging apologies while promising to help each other with the search for La Ciudad. Sarah meanwhile, had returned her attention to Chuck and felt a tinge of panic when she found that he was no longer standing at the bar where Casey had left him.

"Casey, didn't you leave Chuck at the bar?"

"Yeah"

"And didn't you tell him not to move?" Sarah asked after checking the rest of the security cameras and finding him on the dance floor…with some brunette in his arms.

"Yeah, I did. Why?"

Because he's dancing with some skank…WHO JUST GRABBED HIS ASS!" Sarah finished with a scream as she reached for her gun, only to remember it wasn't in it's usual place because she'd been given 'van' duty. Casting about, she found her purse and grabbed for it, intent on interrupting Chuck's dance with her badge and weapon.

"Walker…stand down!" Casey's voice commanded over the speakers but Sarah was already behind the wheel, the van speeding towards the front of the hotel. When he got no response, Casey turned to Carina, a worried look on his face. "We've got trouble, let's go."

"What's up?" Carina asked, already falling into step behind the big man.

"Bartowski's on the dance floor, with some brunette who evidently just grabbed his ass."

"Oh crap." Carina said under her breath as she sped up and pulled away from Casey.

Out on the dance floor, completely oblivious to the shit storm that was about to happen, Chuck had just flashed on a small scar on the side of Malena's neck and come to realize that he was currently dancing with one of the most sought after killers in the western world…who had just grabbed his ass.

The dance had started off with Chuck placing his hands in the customary positions for the tango and Malena had immediately drawn him in closer than Mrs. Noosebaum had ever held him for lessons. He told himself that the sudden rise in temperature was due to the close proximity of the brunette who was currently leading him around the dance floor…without actually being the one in the lead. He found himself enjoying the dance but secretly wishing that Sarah was the woman he was holding in his arms.

After the flash, Chuck struggled to maintain his calm and when the song reached it's end, he dipped Malena, as was customary. Just as he pulled them both back to their upright positions, he felt a hand on his shoulder and then felt himself being jerked backwards. As he stumbled backwards, fighting to regain his balance, he saw a flash of blonde hair which was immediately followed with a loud crack. He managed to halt his backwards motion just in time to see Malena's eyes roll back in her head just before she dropped to the floor in an unceremonious heap. Standing next to the unconscious form was his fiancé, holding a tight stance as she stared down at the woman she'd just dropped like a bad habit. When she turned to look at him, his breath caught in his throat as he recognized the deadly look in Sarah's eyes. It was the same look she'd had this morning when she'd lunged for Lester.

"Sarah, how did you know she was La Ciudad?" Chuck asked, feeling the eyes of dozens of people on them.

"La Ciudad? La Ciudad is here? Where?" Sarah blurted out, moving closer to him as she began to scan the room, looking for the threat that Chuck had just named.

"Right there." he said in a hushed tone as he pointed towards the woman he'd just been dancing with. Carina and Casey both chose that exact moment to join the party, both of them looking around before turning their attention to Sarah who, due to her all black, non-formal clothing, was beginning to attract quite a bit of scrutiny. Chuck could've sworn he saw the 'light bulb' suddenly turn on as the blonde angel in front of him realized who she'd just knocked unconscious with one snap-kick. "That's La Ciudad" he said to her, trying to keep his voice from letting the entire ballroom know what had just occurred.

Casey quickly caught on and pulled his ID from his pocket, taking control of the scene, announcing that he was with the NSA and that there was nothing to worry about as he reached into a pocket and tossed his handcuffs to Carina who deftly caught them with one hand and was soon snapping them shut on Malena's wrists. "Not a word!" he hissed at her as she smiled at him. "I mean it, not one god damn word!" Turning his attention back to Chuck and Sarah, he nodded towards the exit. "Get her out of here. We'll handle this and meet you both back at your place after we get her securely locked away until we can decide what to do with her. You're sure this is La ciudad?" Casey asked and seeing Chuck nod in the affirmative, he shook his head, not believing what had just happened. "Well, get going before your pictures end up somewhere they shouldn't."

Chuck reached out a hand and grabbed Sarah's arm, pulling her towards the closest exit which just happened to be the front door. Sarah followed Chuck's lead, the look of confusion which had replaced the murderous glare, still on her face. Once outside, he lead her to the first cab he found and after giving the driver his address, practically pushed Sarah into the back seat. The cab had already pulled away when Sarah Walker suddenly returned to the 'party'.

"So, that bitch that grabbed your ass was La Ciudad?"

"Sarah, are you saying that you didn't know? That you just knocked out some woman because she grabbed my ass?"

"What?" Sarah said as the wheels started to turn. "Of course not. I would never do that!"

"Cool, so how did you figure out who she was?"

"Well, I…uh…"

"You didn't know! You just came rushing inside because you saw her grab my ass! What if it hadn't been a 'bad guy'? What if she'd been someone who just happened to ask me to dance?"

"I saw it on the monitor, Chuck! She grabbed your ass!…and you were dancing a little too close for my comfort! That is something that I will not tolerate, not from anyone… especially not from a wanted assassin!"

"But Sarah…" Chuck started to say something but found his ability to speak severely compromised by Sarah's lips that had just attached themselves to his. He lost track of 'stuff' and before he knew what had happened, the cab driver was informing them that they'd arrived at their destination.

"Pay the nice man" Sarah commanded as she exited the car, her hand firmly gripping Chuck's. Somehow he managed to find his wallet and take care of the fare before his fiancé began dragging him towards their apartment, a glint in her eye. "hurry up, Chuck. I plan to debrief you before Carina and Casey get back here…and after we get rid of them as well." She didn't bother looking back to make sure that he was keeping up because her grip on his hand wouldn't allow him to.

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Almost an hour later, Casey and Carina finally showed up, both of them looking tired as they stood outside of the apartment, waiting for someone to answer the door. They exchanged knowing looks when the door opened and a shirtless Chuck Bartowski, his hair looking very rumpled and his boxers on inside-out, stood aside, allowing them to enter.

"I'll go get Sarah" he said, obviously still struggling to catch his breath as he padded towards the rear of the apartment

"Tell Walker that the 'bosses' are really looking forward to hearing how she managed to identify La Ciudad and felt it necessary to abandon her post and crash the charity event in order to capture the her. They just don't seem to understand why she didn't simply notify one of us" Casey said, clearly referring to himself and Carina.

"Ok, we'll be right back and we can explain the whole thing." Chuck answered over his shoulder. "At least, I hope we can" he said under his breath. A quick glance down confirmed his fears, he was wearing his boxers inside out. 'Well, I better add getting dressed to the list of things to do before the official de-briefing' he added silently as he was walking into their room. 'Honey, it's time for the official de-briefing."

Sarah looked up from her reclined position on the bed. "But, I want another 'un-official' debriefing first she answered, her eyebrow dance putting a smile on Chuck's lips.

"Casey and Carina are here. Let's get this over with and then, I promise, I'm all yours…again."

"Oh, I know you are!"