A/N: Sorry for the prolonged period of waiting, I had quite a bit to do. Special thanks to Aren Summers, who wrote an AWESOME fic right here called "Don't Quit Your Day Job"- if you want a GREAT AU Chuck fic, I HIGHLY suggest checking that out and leaving him (as you should with all authors) a review.

Here's your next chapter.

*REMEMBER TO CHANGE THE SPACING ON YOUR VIEWER IF IT LOOKS TOO CRAMMED...IT HAPPENED AGAIN.

"She's awake." Sarah glanced over, through bulletproof tinted glass, over at the groggily awakening Jill Roberts, freshly drugged. She was to wake up at the metal table of the interrogation room, just the way the team had gone over. She and Carina were to watch, hidden, while Chuck "interrogated" Jill. Tensions were high, expectations even more so.

"Okay..." Chuck took a breath, shaking off his shoulders loosely, in an effort to "get in the zone" as he liked to say.

"Don't be nervous, Chuck." Sarah smiled comfortingly, straightening his tie.

"And what are you so giddy about, Agent Walker?" He teased at the sight of her uplifting smile.

"I love a man in uniform." She smirked as she finished up with him. She took a step back. "Wow, is this an interrogation or a date night?"

"Yeah, you look like a Playboy." Carina smirked, disrupting the two as she leaned back in her seat, legs up on her table. "Real hot one, too."

Chuck turned beet red, while Sarah glared daggers at Carina, who shut up finally. "You'll be fine." Sarah assured him. "Just listen to me over the comm."

Chuck nodded, sliding the earpiece in. He'd hoped things wouldn't get too awkward between them with his current girlfriend listening to their every word. "Uh….right."

Chuck's cheek burned as Sarah gave him a quick peck and sent him in, watching as he strode in, causing Jill to glance up.

"Chuck….." She began slowly, taking his brown eyes into her own.

"Jill." Chuck nodded, sitting before her. "Do you know why you're here?"

"You plan to interrogate me…..figure out what Fulcrum's plans are, right?"

"No." Chuck started gently. "I would never hurt you, Jill."

Carina snorted from her seat. "That's a new method."

Sarah watched, burying the jealousy under professionalism. She could see that Chuck was handling this very well. No wonder the plan was working….it was her Chuck's charm.

"Okay…" Jill nodded. "But first…..where am I? CIA? NSA?"

Chuck gave a little laugh. "Funny you should ask."

Chuck continued to tell Jill as much as he could without compromising the integrity of the interrogation. He spent almost an entire half hour just on backstory and how Fulcrum was a threat. And to both Sarah and Carina's amazement, it was working. Jill was willing to cooperate.

"And that's why you need Lorenzo's place at Fulcrum, working with me." She nodded, all of it dawning on her. "That's where I will take you deep undercover?"

"Exactly." Chuck nodded, leaning back. "I promise you that if you do this, the CIA will give you a second chance."

Sarah's eyebrows were raised. "Chuck, we can't do that-"

Chuck continued. "And if they don't, so help me god, Jill…I will protect you from anyone that doesn't want you to have another chance."

Sarah gasped and Carina nearly choked on her coffee. "Big promises there, huh Walker?"

"What?" Jill seemed astonished, and suddenly her heart rate rose. Her cheeks flushed, and she felt odd. The change was visible in her eyes, and Sarah felt it every day with Chuck.

Jill was falling in love with Chuck all over again.

"Oh shit…." Carina gaped. "No way….."

Sarah resisted the urge to bang her head against the window. Of course he had to be that good.

"No witsec?" Jill couldn't believe it.

"No one should have to be constantly surveyed and watched like that, Jill." Chuck assured her.

"Oh Chuck…." Jill felt an immense relief and rush of heat all at the same time. Chuck was still there, he was still her Chuck.

"So….will you help me?"

"Yes, Chuck." Jill nodded. "Of course."

"Okay." Chuck nodded, rising. "I'm really sorry about this, but for the meantime, you have to stay in one of the holding cells."

"I understand."

"But I promise I'll check in on you." Chuck stated, watching as the security escorted her away.

He turned, straightening up as he entered back through the door. He was surprised to find Carina smirking at him and Sarah watching him with some sort of fire in her.

"Uh…..how was that?" Chuck tried, unsure of what else to say.

"Nice, Chuck." Carina smirked. "I'll stick around for this, though…"

"For wha-"

"Chuck." Sarah began, watching him. "We can't give her protection like that."

"I will." Chuck defended. "It's the least I can do."

Sarah's heart burned and melted all at once. He was so giving and yet she wanted to be mad at him and she wasn't sure of how she should feel. " Chuck…..That was wonderful…."

Chuck smiled, about to approach her when Carina interrupted. "Too bad you didn't start making out with her over the table."

Chuck looked shocked. "Too bad I wha?"

"That's about all you needed to push Walker here right over the edge." Carina filed her papers, stretching. "I think I'll take my leave now."

"Oh…." Chuck looked confused. "Oh….gosh….Sarah did I give off that vibe? I totally didn't mean to, I just….You said be nice, and I wanted to gain her-"

"Chuck." Sarah interrupted with a wry smile, arms going around his neck. "It's alright. I mean….who couldn't help but fall for you, you're kind and forgiving…."she trailed off as she found his lips. "and delicious."

Chuck smiled against her lips. "Well this is a first; I'd never have thought so many girls would like me."

Sarah chuckled at his almost childish comments. "Mhmm. I'm sure nerd was cool, way back when."

"I just…..I don't want Jill to get hurt."

Sarah smirked. "Hurt? No. But she's definitely going to get a message."

Chuck looked confused.

Sarah smirked. "It's really a girl thing."

"So….What are we doing for the rest of the day?" Chuck asked, not really wanting to do anything else than spend time with Sarah.

"Well….we have time to kill, and plenty of ways to do so…" Sarah smirked suggestively, pulling his tie.

"Oh…hi-oh!" Chuck didn't need to be told twice.

-0-

"Chuck, I'm trusting you a lot on this one." Sarah confided in him as she got out of the car.

"Sounds like a very high honor." Chuck smiled. "And trust me…..They make mean sandwiches here."

"Well I invited Bryce and Carina to grab a bite, and Hannah wanted to tag along too….Looks like we've got a crowd to please."

"Leave it to me." Chuck smiled, opening the door for her, following in behind her.

"Oh wow…." Chuck raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's ah…..it's busy in here…" he glanced down at the number he pulled. It read 93.

"Now serving number 28!" A man called out, as a famished looking group stood to claim their prize.

"Maybe we can find another-"

"Chuck?" A beautiful, and quite petite, brunette called for his attention.

"Hey Lou." He smiled warmly. "Never a dull moment here, huh?"

"Chuck…." She reciprocated his smile, snatching the number from his hand and tearing it up. "What can I get you?"

Sarah watched the interaction with amazement. Was there anyone who didn't like him? And why so many brunettes?

"Sarah…" He placed a gentle hand on her back. "Shall I order for the both of us?"

"You know better than I do." Sarah replied, eyes finding Lou. She put on a smile. Chuck's friends were her friends….right?

"Hey Chuck, use the table on the outside, under the umbrella…" Lou reminded as she worked speedily to finish their order.

"Thanks so much, Lou." He smiled, taking out his wallet.

"On the house, Chuck." She refused to let him pay.

"No, I can't possibly accept that." He seemed astounded.

"Then send me some flowers…" she had a certain glimmer in her eyes.

Sarah bit her tongue, somehow finding the ordeal amusing.

"Gerber daisies." Chuck smiled, thanking her once more. "I remember."

-0-

Chuck took a seat with Sarah, and he couldn't help but notice the amused glimmer in her eyes. "Something funny?"

"No…..it's just….you're friends with everyone." Sarah laughed, unwrapping her sandwich.

"Oh." Chuck smiled sipping his water. "Nah…..well, I guess it is hard to resist the Bartowski charm."

"I'll say." Sarah smiled, savoring the sweet little kiss she was rewarded with. "She was really flirting with you."

Chuck laughed, "I think her love lies with the sandwiches….not the customer."

"Hey…." Sarah grinned as she finished her bite. "This is amazing."

"It's called the Chuck Bartowski." He grinned right back, happy to share his little surprise.

Sarah nearly choked on her bite. "It's…..what?"

"Not publicly, of course." Chuck teased. "It's a joke."

Sarah leaned back into him. "Chuck. I'm going to miss these little moments…"

"Hey I'm not dying…..Just a little undercover work. Nothing the great Sarah Walker hasn't accomplished."

"Sarah Walker has everything to lose, now." She clarified. "It's different now."

"So do I. And I promise I'll be back to the safe house every night in one piece, and you can monitor me all day."

"I will." Sarah promised, eyeing the bracelet.

"Hey guys." The other three chose that particular moment to arrive.

"Have you seen the girl wrapping the sandwiches? She's ho-" Bryce trailed off at Carina's raised brow.

"Ooh…..tight leash." Hannah teased as they got together.

"Where's Casey?" Chuck queried as they all settled in.

"He's not much for group outings." Sarah clarified, touched that Chuck cared enough to ask.

"Oh…..yeah, but is it me, or did he seem kind of….dodgy, lately?"

"No…." Hannah spoke up. "I've noticed that too."

"He's hiding something." Carina decided. "And leave it to us to figure out what that is."

Sarah was the only one who knew of Casey's past and history. Suddenly she stiffened, and no one caught it but Chuck. "I uh….we should probably focus on the task at hand."

Chuck watched cautiously. What was Sarah hiding?

He glanced at her, warm brown eyes inviting her to share. She shook her head quickly, hoping he'd let it go.

-0-

"Sarah….." Chuck tried to flag her down, as he caught her walking back towards her office later that day. "Hey!"

She turned, watching knowingly as he gently pulled her into her office, shutting the door.

"Chuck…." She warned, hoping it wasn't about the Casey debacle.

"Sarah…." He mocked her tone.

"Let's hear it." She sighed, sitting on the edge of her desk. Chuck seized the opportunity to get closer, so confrontation was unavoidable.

"Casey…." He began. "What are you not telling me?"

"Chuck….his business is his own. It's classified."

Chuck gave her a warm smile. "Hello? Boyfriend." He teased, reminding her of the charm bracelet on her wrist. "I get to hear things you don't tell other people."

"Damn…"She sighed, smiling. "I hate it when you make sense…"

"So….what's wrong with the big guy?"

"Well….as you know, he was a marine before joining the NSA."

"Yeah…..hard to miss that."

"Well…..Chuck…..I'll come right out and say it. He had a wife and daughter."

Chuck's jaw dropped. "What?!" he cried. "Our Casey? The big guy-"

"Shush!" Sarah put a finger over his lips. "The walls are thick; they're not soundproof."

"Oh…..sorry…." Chuck apologized bashfully.

"So….he lost them, he lost contact with them for years. He had his death faked; everything. Suddenly, he finds that they're not so far away. He had this epiphany that he needs to tell his daughter, Alex."

"No…way…." Chuck was shocked. "And he's kept quiet about all of this?"

"Yes, and you need to keep it that way." Sarah reminded, somewhat sternly. "I trust you."

Chuck couldn't help but smile.

"What?" Sarah demanded.

"I used to be scared of your angry tone." He teased.

"Oh? And now you're not?"

"Why should I be?" Chuck gave her a smile. "When I can do this…?" he leaned forward placing a delicate kiss on her lips.

"Fair…..point." Sarah mumbled against his, reluctant to pull apart.

"So that's why Casey has been acting so strange….."

"Yeah…." Sarah nodded. "And I think he wants to make a move. Too bad you won't be here to see it."

"I…oh man!" Chuck sighed. "So I miss everything good. First you, and then Casey…."

"You'll get to see me at night." Sarah smirked. "Unless… of course….you prefer Casey?"

"Oh…..brain bleach….." He clutched his head while Sarah laughed.

Chuck glanced at his watch. "It's getting kind of late, huh?"

Sarah nodded, "I was thinking about finishing up here….it is our last night, while you're going through this mission…."

Chuck nodded. "And I plan on making it special….but first…."

"Jill?" Sarah guessed, knowing him all too well.

"I promised not to treat her like a prisoner; you can come with me."

"I don't know, Chuck-"

"Please." He smiled. "And then I promise it will be just you and I for the rest of our evening."

"You put up a good deal." She grabbed her coat, freeing her long golden hair from her collar as she grabbed her keys.

-0-

"Hey Jill…." Chuck smiled, approaching her holding cell.

"Chuck…" she smiled, surprised that he would be allowed to come near her, let alone into her holding cell.

"How are they treating you?" He smiled.

"I'm fine, Chuck." She smiled again at his concern.

"Oh…..Jill. Just so you're in the loop…..This is Agent Walker…" he stepped aside, as Jill's eyes fell on Sarah. She was gorgeous.

"Hi, Dr. Roberts." She stated a little less friendly than Chuck. Someone had to keep the professionalism alive. "I'm the lead agent here. I'll be overseeing your infiltration of your workplace, over the next few days."

"Oh…" Jill nodded. "And you and Chuck are-"

"dating." Sarah finished with the slightest hint of a smirk. She knew it sure as hell wasn't professional, but it felt damn good. And she had to get the message across. She laced her hand with Chuck's, feeling the usual spark as they touched.

"Jill, if there's anything I can do…." Chuck offered kindly. "All you need to do is ask for me."

"Thanks Chuck." Jill actually smiled.

"Let's go, sweetie." Sarah's use of the pet name had them both laughing as they left the cell, making sure it was secure as they did.

Jill turned back to her seat, still smiling all the while. Chuck was still her Chuck. And what could Agent Walker do, when she had him alone for the next two weeks? She was going to turn him, and she had a plan. She wasn't alone, and she'd done her digging. John Casey's daughter was the perfect outside distraction Fulcrum needed to bend Chuck to their will.

It was all a matter of time.

-0-

Sarah couldn't have been more content in her life at that very moment. She sat between Chuck's legs on the floor as he leaned against the board of her bed frame, enjoying each other's company with a little dinner and wine.

Chuck leaned back, taking in the beauty before him. "Sarah…." He began, arms pulling her close to his chest.

"Hmm?" she almost sighed, taking in his warmth.

"I just….I know that the mission is dangerous, and nothing will stop me from returning to you, but…."

She listened, her heart nearly stopping.

"I just want you to know that…..I love you."

Her heart completely skipped a beat or two, and she felt herself smile.

"And I know it's hard for you to commit, given your past and I don't expect you to b-"

"Chuck…." She stopped him, smiling up at him. "I love you too."

She leaned up to kiss him and he met her halfway, hands going to cup her cheeks.

So far, this was the best night of Sarah Walker's life. Chuck was the best decision she'd ever made, and no one could take that away from her.

A/N: Sorry guys, I really had a bout of writer's block, but we'll see how things progress. Think of this as a crappy fluffy filler chapter. That's a mouthful.