A/N: Something new for all of you…not an exceptionally long chapter…and, of course, I'll apologize in advance for any errors…I've got another chapter from TRFW almost completed and, believe it or not, I'm about halfway through chapter three for Last(ish)…of course, BLDBAL 13 sometime soon…yup, they're going to. You know…oh, don't make me say it, they're gonna…they're gonna…go bowling…there, I said it. Now, on to the important disclaimers…don't own Chuck…don't own anything in the 'Chuckverse'…don't own any sea shells…well, I do but I just leave them strewn about on beaches all over the world(thank you, S. Wright)…I make no money with this dazzling display of my literary skills…all errors are my own although STN is lending assistance, trying(and succeeding) to expand my skills…I'm still having fun so…Jim, thanks for the nudge. JT
Sarah Vs. The Strong Swimmer - Chapter 26
Chuck struggled to open his eyes, the sound of the alarm clock in one ear and the sound of his fiancé, begging him to turn off the alarm clock, in his other ear. He allowed himself to recall the last two weeks and the staggering amount of work that they been doing, wondering if maybe they should take some time for themselves. Reaching out a hand, he managed to find the off button for the alarm clock and as soon as the offending noise disappeared, he was rewarded with a soft 'thank you' from his bed mate who then proceeded to pull herself even closer to him, took a soft sniff and mumbled 'good run?' before giving his neck a gentle nibble. Closing his eyes, he thought about simply allowing himself to go back to sleep, the warm 'tick' that was attached to him adding a soft, warm 'pro' to his list of reasons to stay in bed.
Just as he was about to slip back to sleep, Sarah's hand slowly started sliding down his chest and moments later, when she began gently stroking him, all thoughts of sleep evaporated. He opened his eyes as he felt Sarah shifting her position, her hand guiding him into her waiting warmth. The sharp intake of breath told him that the vision of loveliness, who was looking down into his eyes, was now wide awake and when she raised herself up and began thrusting against him, he was reminded just what a lucky man he was. Just as he moved his hands from her hips to her breasts and began gently squeezing them, the bedroom door swung open.
"So, do you guys know what Morgan likes for break…oh god, I'm so sorry" Carina said when she finally realized what she'd walked in on. Chuck sat up quickly, his arms wrapping around Sarah as he stared at their unexpected and, at that moment, very unwelcome visitor. "I'm really sorry, guys. The door was open and…"
"Get out, Carina!" Sarah shouted, "NOW!"
"Yeah, gotcha" she answered and spun around, pulling the door shut behind her.
"I guess we're gonna have to start locking our door" Chuck said with a smile. "Well, I guess we'll have to actually go to work now" he said and then noticed the look on Sarah's face.
"Oh no you don't" she replied before using a hand to push him back down onto the bed. "Put those hands back where they belong" she ordered as she slowly began to resume the rhythm that she established just moments before. "Now, Chuck!" she demanded as she began to increase the intensity and speed of her thrusts. Knowing better than to disobey a 'bossy' Sarah, and not really having any desire to do so, he followed 'orders'.
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Chuck was adjusting his necktie as he walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee maker, After pouring himself a cup, he went to the refrigerator and poured a glass of orange juice for Sarah before making his way to the dining room table. After pulling out a chair and taking a seat, he noticed that the other person already sitting seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, a glazed look in her eyes. After taking a couple of swallows from his cup, Chuck was about to say something when Sarah joined him at the table, sliding a plate into place in front of him. Looking down and taking note of the pop-tarts, he gave her a quick questioning look.
"What?" she replied. "Fresh pancakes or…" she finished with her own version of the 'eyebrow dance'.
"I love pop-tarts" he answered, giving an 'eyebrow dance' in return. He glanced at Carina again and, seeing no change in her 'lost' look, he caught Sarah's eye and directed her attention to their early morning visitor. Seeing the confused shrug that Sarah offered him after she took note of the same glazed look that he'd noticed earlier, he reached out a hand and gently touched the red head's arm.
"What?" Carina blurted out as she seemed to suddenly notice that she was no longer alone at the table. Seeing the questioning looks directed her way, she gave her head a quick shake. "So, great run this morning, Chuckles. Sarah, you wouldn't believe how much his stamina seems to be improving, wait, what am I saying, of course you've noticed. Oh, sorry about this morning. So, you guys gonna be busy again? Morgan gonna be helping you? What do you think he likes for breakfast? I, uh…" she stammered to a halt when she noticed the way that Sarah and Chuck were exchanging confused and concerned looks. "What?" she asked.
"Carina, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sarah asked, "I've known you for years and you never ramble like this"
"What? I wasn't rambling. I never ramble" she answered as she looked from Sarah to Chuck and then back again. Seeing the affirmation of her rambling in the smiles on their faces, she let her head drop into her hands. "Oh crap, Walker. I really need to get laid…and no, I'm not asking for you to… although I wouldn't say no if you said yes… after what I saw this morning…but I'd never ask that…and not just because you might break my nose…again…"
"Carina" Sarah said as she snapped her fingers in front of the red head's face, trying to get her attention. "You're rambling again"
"Oh god, Walker. It's worse than I thought. What the hell am I going to do?" Carina asked before letting her head sink back into her hands.
"Chuck, why don't you…" Sarah said with a look to her fiancé.
"Go make sure that everything is in the wagon for today's service calls? What a great idea." Chuck finished while getting up from the table and, after giving his cup a quick rinse, headed towards the front door. "Carina, I'll see you and Casey this afternoon. Honey, see you in a few minutes" he called over his shoulder as he stepped out the front door.
Sarah waited until she heard the door close before turning to her oldest friend. "Ok, Carina. What the hell is going on?"
"You're not going to believe me, hell, I'm not sure I believe it myself…"
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Chuck was sitting on the edge of the fountain, listening as Morgan told him all about the previous night's gaming and the amazing time he'd had chatting with a gamer who used the handle, RHSG. To here him tell it, this gamer had 'mad skills' and, despite the use of some sort of voice distortion program, he was pretty sure that the gamer was a 'chick'. Nodding his head as Morgan launched into the story again, he was really happy to see the front door of his apartment open and Sarah and Carina head in their direction. He took note of the look an his fiancé's face and promised himself to ask her later what she and Carina had talked about.
"Morning, Martin" Carina said as she walked up and took a seat beside Chuck on the fountain's edge. "So, what's up?"
"Oh, not much. I was just talking to Chuck about C.O.D. and we were going over some of the work orders for today" Morgan said with a smile. "What about you?"
"Whoa, slow down Morgan, you completely forgot about your new girlfriend" Chuck said, adding some air quotes to the word girlfriend and was shocked when Sarah gave him a dirty look.
"What new girlfriend?" Carina asked, suddenly very interested in the conversation.
"Oh, just some gamer he met online last night. What was it Morgan, RHSG or something like that? Probably some pimply faced teenager" Chuck answered, failing to notice the brief look of relief that flashed on Carina's face.
"Well, good luck with that" Carina said as she turned to leave. "Movie night, tonight, Martin?" she called back over her shoulder.
"What you got?" Morgan asked.
"Well, I found the boxed set for those movies that you and Chuck are always going on about and I thought you might like to pop my LOTR cherry" she answered, her reply causing both Chuck and Sarah's heads to whip in her direction and then both whip back, hoping to catch Morgan's reaction to her offer. A hush seemed to fall over the courtyard that lasted for a few heartbeats before Morgan figured out his follow-up question.
"Director's cut or theatrical release?"
Sarah and Chuck exchanged shocked looks, wondering if Morgan hadn't heard Carina's offer.
"Well, the box says both"
"Cool. What about your room mate? Casey sorta scares me."
"Casey's going to a Ronald Reagan film festival tonight so we'll have the ap…the big screen all to ourselves" Carina said before opening the door to the apartment. "I've already got some microwave popcorn, some red vines and a twelve pack of grape soda. Sound good?"
"Yeah, sounds great. After work?"
"Well, of course. Have fun at work" Carina said as she stepped into the apartment and closed the door.
Turning back around, Morgan found both Sarah and Chuck staring at him, their mouths hanging open. "Alright guys, I'm gonna go ahead and get started on the installs I've got for today. Call me if anything comes up" he said as he picked up his workcase and walked away.
"Alright, Sarah. What the hell is going on?" Chuck asked, unable to wait anymore for some sort of explanation for the weirdness that was going on. Reaching out his hand to grab hers, he pulled her into his lap and after she made herself comfortable, he wrapped his arms around her waist. He could feel the smile that always seemed to be on his face when he had Sarah this close to him but when she leaned into him and then whispered in his ear, he felt the smile fall away as his jaw dropped open.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Chuck almost yelled and then felt Sarah's hand covering his mouth.
"You can't say anything to Morgan…or anyone else for that matter" Sarah said softly.
"Who could I tell that would ever believe me? You told me and I can't believe it. But what about this 'chick' that Morgan's been gaming and chatting with?"
"Who? RHSG? Red head spy…"
"Girl" Chuck finished for her, even more stunned than he'd been just moments before. Not knowing what to say next, Chuck simply gave Sarah a quick kiss on the lips while giving her a subtle nudge. Once she'd gotten to her feet, he allowed her to pull him upright as he tried to make sense of everything he'd just learned. What are we going to do now?"
"Nothing, Chuck. We're not going to do anything except keep our mouths shut…and try not to smile too much as we watch this, whatever 'this' is, as it unfolds.
"Sarah, you don't think she's going to hurt him, do you? I know you don't really know him that well but I don't want Carina to hurt him" Chuck said softly as he pulled Sarah towards the parking lot, determined to get the days work started despite the huge 'bomb' that had just been dropped . "Do you think she's just gonna 'handcuff' him and then walk away?"
"Chuck, I'm pretty sure that if sex was all that she wanted, she be able to seduce Morgan with little to no work, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah, you right about that. Hell, I'm pretty sure that Morgan would give a kidney or even his comic book collection for that" chuck replied as he opened the passenger door of the wagon and waited for Sarah to slide in. When he noticed that she hadn't moved, he looked at her and saw the look in her eyes. "What?"
"Give me the keys, Chuck. You drove yesterday, it's my turn"
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Chuck and Sarah were sitting on the couch, snuggling as they watched Toy Story. Sarah would be the first to admit that the Pixar movies that she had watched with Chuck would all be staples in their children's lives, once they were old enough to watch them. She smiled and took a handful of Goobers from the bowl that Chuck offered to her.
"What do you think is happening over there?"
"Chuck, do you really want to know?" Sarah responded as she reached for the bowl that her fiancé had placed in his lap. She watched as Chuck considered her question and then shook his head.
"You're right. I really don't want to know."
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Chuck jolted awake at the same exact moment as Sarah. They exchanged looks, each afraid to ask the question that was going through their minds. The echoes for the wounded bellow had died down by the time they managed to open the front door and stumble into the courtyard. They couldn't believe their eyes when a quick scan of the courtyard revealed John Casey, sitting on the edge of the fountain with his head resting in his hands. They tried to make out the incoherent mumbling that was coming from the big man and finally decided to wander over and ask him what was wrong. When they had gotten within five feet of him, his head came up and they couldn't believe the odd look in his eyes.
"John, what's wrong?" Sarah asked, real concern in her voice.
"They ruined it" he said before letting his head slip back down into his hands. "They ruined it…" he repeated softly.
"Who ruined what, Casey?" Chuck asked
"Them" was all he replied while using his hand to point towards his apartment.
Chuck took Sarah's hand and pulled her towards the door of Casey's place that was standing open. Pausing briefly in the doorway, the couple then stepped inside, wondering what they could possibly find that had upset the hardened NSA agent to such a degree. Once their eye's adjusted to the dim lighting, the only thing they found were Morgan and Carina, sitting on the couch, staring at the images on the big screen.
"What is going on, Sarah" Chuck asked, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Sarah leaned in and whispered in his ear and then he saw what he'd missed on his first inspection. Morgan's shirt was on inside out, both he and Carina seemed to be out of breath and, most telling of all, an torn open foil packet, sitting on the coffee table, the 'JAN' now easy to read. Grabbing Sarah's hand, Chuck almost ran for the door, his new knowledge of what Casey had evidently walked in on leaving him with a mental image that would bother him for days. He loved Morgan like a brother but, there were some things a best friend just shouldn't have first hand knowledge of…ever. Once outside, he turned and looked at his fiancé and was shocked to see the smile on her face. Not knowing what to say, he pulled her towards the fountain where they both sat down.
"Casey" Chuck said as he placed a hand on the big man's shoulder, "are you going to be alright?"
"They ruined it" he said, repeating what he'd said earlier.
"Ruined what? Casey, do you, you know, like Carina…or something?" Chuck asked, wondering if jealousy was the root of the big man's problem.
"What? Oh, god no! Don't be such a moron, Bartowski! I couldn't care less who Hansen decides to bone…although, I have to admit that I really never would have guessed she was into hairy little trolls…they ruined my couch. I really loved that couch and now I'll never be able to sit in it again!"
"Well, I'm sure that it can be cleaned. Plus, I'm pretty sure that I noticed a blanket, there" Chuck said as he exchanged looks with Sarah.
"Oh really? Well, where am I going to get the 'brain bleach' that I'm going to need to remove the image of them on my couch from my mind?"
Chuck tried and come up with an answer and when he couldn't, he simply nudged Sarah and they got slowly to their feet. "Casey, I don't know what to tell you. Sarah and I are going home. Please, don't kill anyone after we're gone."
"Kill anyone? Christ, Bartowski, I may want to vomit but I'd never kill some one for what I've just been through. I'm going back inside, grabbing a bottle of Blue label and then I'm going to bed. I'm sorry if my yell woke you guys up. It was just a shock, that's all"
"Well, if you're sure"
"Yeah, yeah. Beat it. Remember, seven miles in the morning" Casey said as he got to his feet and walked towards his apartment. "and you two" they heard him say as they walked back to their place, "you owe me a new couch! Get that defiled thing out of my place before sundown tomorrow, or else!"
A/N: I know, I know, short chapter. Just wanted to get something out for you. Next time? More words! Please, remember that reviews are little bits of magic that make me smile…I know that may not be at the top of your 'to do' list, making me smile, but I would be positively giddy if you'd take the time and share with me…tell me your likes, dislikes…heck, tell me anything…except you, Prince Boo Boo…the last time I allowed you to do that, I had such a huge case of the 'Skeevy shakes', I couldn't hold a shot glass for weeks.