A/N: So guys, I am trying to give you frequent updates as we really start to see the story develop. Now if you've read any of my stories you'll know I'm an avid Charah fan, and I always will be. I'm going to slow their progression here for certain reasons that will be revealed to you as the story goes on. I'll try to make it quite funny and lighthearted without angst. That said, to all who reviewed: thanks a million, that's EXACTLY what I need to write my next chapters. Once again, sorry it's so choppy...I wrote it on my phone. Yes, my thumbs are dead.
* I've received several PM's regarding "Chocolate Eyes and the Wildcard enforcer", a story by "TheGibsonPlayer, my buddy Andrew. He's alright with letting me continue it, but are you guys interested? Let me know. Probably wouldn't start until this one is finished. Thanks everyone, enough crap:
Chapter Seven: The "morning after" 'Factor
"Chuck!" Sarah's cry at his sudden disappearance caused a commotion over the shared comment system.
Carina was the first to understand Sarah's cry, taking it for worry and panic. "Walker!" She pressed her piece into her ear, slipping out into the night, trying to find her friend. "Status?"
"He's gone! He went after Cesar!" Sarah was furious and awestruck and scared all at the same time. She'd never reacted like this when Bryce was in danger.
Before Carina could make it to her location, Sarah was darting after Chuck, who was chasing the armed criminal.
"Casey; back me up on the upper west side!" Her command was sharp.
"Bryce, trigger the alarm!" Carina demanded. "Get everyone out."
"Roger..." Bryce crackled as he slipped into the hallway, breaking the protective layering and sounding the fire alarm. In a hurried panic, the guests began to flee, Shaw blocking access from the side patio where Chuck had departed.
"Do we need to radio outside teams?" Hannah asked.
"No..." Casey replied wisely. "No time."
Meanwhile, Sarah was running after Chuck, who was not twenty feet ahead. "Chuck, no!" She cried as he tackled the man. Sarah watched as he expertly rolled the man over him, so that the wired explosives would never hit the ground. The two scrambled up, facing each other squarely.
Cesar whipped out a pistol; it was silenced. He'd planned for something tonight. Chuck froze. Hands up, he blinked as the familiar click of the loading gun filled the silence. He heard rapid tapping on the stone courtyard before him, but it seemed distant, far. Just like his life. If he moved to draw his own weapon, the man would surely fire.
"Nice try, agent..." Cesar laughed, his accent thick. "But my boss doesn't like interruptions..."
With a roundhouse kick to the head from the infamous Sarah Walker, Cesar was on the floor in seconds.
"Neither does mine." Chuck breathed, sparing no time as he bent over Cesar and opened his jacket, seeing the bomb wired there. It read, in large, red lighting :59, then :58, and so on, decreasing by the second.
Sarah bent over, analyzing it. "It's no use...Chuck?" She glanced up, watching him gently cradle the explosives.
Chuck eyed it steadily, then turned to Sarah sharply. "Okay..." He took in a breath. She watched anxiously, her heart hammering.
"Can you do it, Chuck?" She asked demandingly; Agent Walker was in control now.
"I...yeah..." He kneeled over, eyeing the wires. He used to be so damn sure. Analyzing it he saw the red wire; but that was out of the question, according to his training. He felt for all the training he'd received inside his head.
"Seven seconds, Chuck!" Sarah cried, her teammates over the comm. all listening to their leader's distress.
0:03...0:02...
"Don't kill me Sarah..." He blinked, yanking the far right one. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting. He opened one slowly, then the other, blinking.
He jumped when he felt Sarah's hand fall on his shoulder, a sigh of relief was audible.
"I...I did it..." Chuck breathed, falling back onto her for support from his kneeling position.
"Yeah...you were great, Chuck..." She breathed happily, about to say more when Carina and the others appeared.
"Nice Chucky..." She smirked sauntering forward as if nothing pressing had even occurred. "I really must say..."'she leaned forward so only he and Sarah could hear. "I'm turned on by your...heroics..."
Chuck coughed a bit, as she flirtatiously pulled him up. Sarah rolled her eyes, Carina was just trying to get her jealous. As usual.
"Great work Bartowski..." Shaw piped up. "But..what took you so long?" That last part was deliberately placed, as Chuck and few others noticed.
"Who cares, that was amazing Chuck." Hannah smiles sweetly, which made Sarah feel sick.
Casey had pulled up with the van by that time. "Okay we can celebrate Bartowski's evolution to manhood later, I'm starved and we've got some work to do."
The team all mumbled something under their breath as they boarded the van, all falling silent as they pondered just what had occurred that night.
-0-
Jack Walker was busy far into the next week and a half, making phone calls, getting more and projects, and bragging to Verbanski. He'd heard of Chuck's recent heroics and promised to give him anything he wanted, so long as that was kept up.
He also pulled him aside, telling him: "Listen, Charles. You did a damn good job out there; I knew I saw that spark in you, son. But listen here, very closely: next time you're in a situation, life or death...you get my angel out of there. I trust you more than Bryce or...or...this Shaw kid...you've got human feelings, Charles. I want you to put my Sarah above them all, don't EVER question that."
Chuck was stunned at the amount of trust that was being thrust upon him. Jack Walker was asking him of all people to take care of Sarah, who by no means needed protection. He nodded, listening intently. None of this talk was necessary, he considered it an instinct to protect her, whether she liked it or not.
The following week and a half, neither Jack, Sarah, or Carina showed when Chuck did. When he did see them, they were always in their respective offices, left to be unbothered as he had strict orders to train Hannah each and every day, in manners other than physical fighting. He was to show her as much technology skills as he could, in hopes that she would be his back up.
One day, after almost two weeks without seeing Sarah or Carina, Chuck began to think. What if they were on some secret mission he wasn't assigned to. That didn't make sense...what if Sarah was avoiding him?
He thought about her as he made his way, approaching the hallway with her office. He had to pass it to get to the gym where Hannah was waiting, eagerly, no doubt. What if she didn't like the...kiss? He couldn't imagine a better kiss...she captivated him in every way, her beauty, skill, knowledge, personality, presence, grace, humor-
He felt a hand yank him by the collar out of the hallway and into a completely dark office. Instincts kicking in, he pulled his assailant forward, causing them to fall right onto his lap, on what felt like a couch. Then, the lights flickered on, as he learned, from the hand of his assailant.
"Sarah!" Chuck called, shushed by her hand.
He then noticed the way they fell, his arms pulling her right onto his lap, her legs basically straddling him there.
"Uhh..."
"Sorry..." She stepped back, allowing a smile. "I didn't mean for you to get scared like that..."
"It's fine...what's with the assault?" Chuck straightened up.
"I...I'm not supposed to be doing ANYTHING but work for the past couple of days...I'm supposed to be prepping a special folder for an upcoming team mission...highly sensitive until you're briefed..."
Realization dawned on Chuck's face. "Ohhh..." He began. "That's why you've been gone forever?"
Sarah's heart lit up, as if it were on fire. "You noticed, then?"
Chuck took a breath, time to bite the bullet. "Sarah Walker-"
Her heart was beating faster, she couldn't stand how he made her feel. Especially after not touching or seeing him for so long.
Chuck continued, "Honestly, for the past week I've-"
The door burst open and Carina stepped in, shutting it behind her. "Walker, I-" she froze and eyed Chuck, smirking. "Now we lambada in the office too?" She grinned wolfishly. "At least there's a couch..."
Chuck and Sarah both went red. "What is it Carina?" Sarah demanded rather sharply.
"Here's your specs on the marks..." Carina handed her a folder, rather absently. "I'm more interested in what's going on here..."
"Nothing, if you keep interrupting..." Sarah snapped.
"Alright alright Walker..." Carina smirked. "I'll be back with the rest in a bit...and Chucky..." She grinned. "Keep your hands off Hannah when you train her." With that note, she closed the door.
"You're training Hannah?" Sarah asked, surprised.
"Yeah..."Chuck sighed. "But that's not why I'm here..."
Sarah listened intently.
"What we did..on the last mission..." Chuck started. "It was risky..."
Sarah felt her heart drop into her gut, disappointment spreading through her, like ice.
"But I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it." Chuck finished.
The warmth ravaged Sarah's body. It was surreal for her. Her face was an easy exhibit of her shock.
"You what?" She began, unable to grasp what was happening.
"Sarah... I've been thinking about you all week, ever since we kissed that night. And it was you I was thinking about when I thought I was going to die by the bomb, and as crazy as it sounds...I really want to kiss you right now..." He stumbled for proper words to describe his affection.
"Well Chuck..." She smirked.
Chucks heart hammered as he tried to foresee what she'd say.
"Shut up and kiss me."
Dumbstruck, he gladly obliged, pulling her to him as he lovingly placed a kiss on her lips, feeling the immediate spark and heat only Sarah could supply.
The two couldn't control themselves; they were missing a week's worth, maybe months worse of potential affection, all of it had to be made up for.
What started sweet and simple quickly became aggressive and lustful as he pulled her against him, feeling her push him against the wall for balance as his hands slid-
The two tore apart quickly as the door opened and slammed shut once more, Carina popping in with her telltale smirk. "I KNEW IT." She cried victoriously. "There's no way in hell you couldn't fall for her...and the lambada? That was so much attraction...I called it." She grinned. "Walker, he's whipped." She added.
"Carina; I swear to god I will slit your throat if you tell anyone, bragging or not, about this..." She searched for the word.
"Relationship?" Chuck supplied.
The word made Sarah's heart flutter.
"Got it?" She demanded.
"Yeah..." Carina rolled her eyes. "But how about Chuckies sister...I mean at this point she probably thinks he's gay."
Sarah rose a brow.
"What?" Chuck sputtered. "Do I really give off-"
"No." Sarah replied assuringly, feeling her insides burn for him. "We can tell your family...it's just...the workplace should be left uninterrupted..."
" Okay..." He nodded. " I agree. Maybe we should just...take things slow?" He knew of Sarah's previous history and how she wasn't too eager to rush into anything, or Labeling it, for that matter.
Sarah leaned back, exhausted. Chuck knew how uncomfortable she was, given her past, and yet he still managed to give him breathing space. This man was incredible. She barely noticed that Carina left the room.
"Now...where were we?" She smirked.
"Here..."Chuck barely brushed her lips when he pulled away, causing her to frown.
"What now?"
"It's Hannah, I completely forgot..."
Sarah turned, hit a few keys on her phone, and turned back to Chuck. "Okay, Carina's on it."
"Seriously? Can you do that?"
Chuck..." She grinned, pulling him by his tie as she reeled him to her lips as he leaned back on her desk. "I'm the boss." She stated against his lips.
They had a meeting in five minutes, so the two would have to wait. But until then...Sarah was sure she could come up with a few things to pass the time.
A/N: scandalous. Anyway, sorry it was short, but my thumbs are so sore. Anyway, thanks a million for reading and reviewing and remember: if you leave a review, even a teeny tiny one, it helps get the next chapter out faster. (I don't release it until I have a certain amount per chapter)
So until next time, (three days TOPS), as always, have a great one, guys.
-LLC
