A/N: This episode continues to be a bit heavy, and I think I've lost some people with it. I apologize for those who haven't enjoyed it. For those that have stuck through, thank you. On with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck


Chuck raised his hand to knock on the door in front of him, and then lowered it. "Want me to knock?" Sarah asked. He turned to her and shook his head.

"I need to do this," Chuck told her. Sarah nodded and watched, as the man she loved gave a quick staccato rap on the door. It killed her to see him like this. He had slept curled against her all night, his head on her shoulder. She knew someone like Bradley would never do that. He wouldn't allow himself to appear vulnerable and hurt, the way Chuck was. He had chided himself all night about how he shouldn't let this bother him, but it did. He had gone on and on about how he understood why Rene was upset. But it still ate at him. She reached forward and squeezed his hand, and he squeezed hers back. The door opened, and they quickly let go of the others hand.

The woman stared at Chuck for a moment. "Can I help you?"

Chuck cleared his throat. "I am Chuck Bartowski, and this is Sarah Walker. We're from Castle Security. My sister said I should come by today?"

Rene stood there for a few seconds. "You really think that man they let go is innocent?"

Chuck nodded. "I do. And if you'd like, I can show you what I found that helps prove it. I'm here to see justice done, Mrs. Good."

"Come in," she said, standing out of the way. The two entered, and Rene closed the door. "I saw the report you submitted, and the Mayor has been by and apologized to me." Chuck and Sarah were silent as they saw her struggle with her words. "I had someone to blame… someone to hate, and you took that from me. I know he's innocent, but… you took away the person to whom I could direct my hate."

"I am so sorry for your loss," Chuck began.

"Ellie has talked about you for years," Rene interrupted. "In my… logical, mind. – the one that makes sense – I know that you would never do something to let a guilty man walk free. I know that you are the kind of man that would see justice served." She paused. "In my logical mind," she said softly.

"What can I do to fix this?" Chuck asked. Sarah wanted to cry at that. First for the woman's pain, and secondly for Chuck's empathy.

"Just find this man, if you can," Rene said.

"Okay, then can we ask you a few questions? Or would you rather…"

"Come in and sit down," Rene said. "Can I offer you anything to drink?"

"No," Chuck and Sarah both said, sitting on the couch. Rene sat across from them.

"So, strange question, but… did your husband have any problems with anyone with a military background?" Chuck asked.

"Not that I know of," Rene admitted. "Why would you ask that?"

"The manner in which your husband was killed, it indicates someone that had training," Chuck said gently. Rene nodded. "Did anyone have a grudge against him, or was angry with him?"

"Again, not that I know of," Rene told him. "And trust me, I've been wracking my brain for weeks."

"Is there a calendar he kept, or notes that we could look at?" Chuck asked. "I understand about doctor/patient confidentiality."

"His home office has his computer in there," Rene said. "But I don't know his password."

"I think we can figure that out," Sarah said, giving Chuck a look.

}o{

"Interesting," Chuck muttered, fifteen or so minutes later. "Do you know why your husband would be seeing a lawyer?"

Rene's eyes darkened and anger crossed her face. "Oh, so now you think I had something to do with it!? You investigators are always the same! Why would you think he's divorcing me!?"

"I don't," Chuck said, raising his hands, palms up in defense. "I just saw that he had a note in his calendar about seeing a lawyer the day before he died."

"Oh," Rene said, the fight gone from her like a balloon deflating. "Why would he need to see a lawyer and not tell me?"

"He had a partner, right?" Chuck asked. "Dr Tyler Black."

"Yes," Rene said, nodding, her arms wrapped around her stomach. She was looking towards Chuck, but he could tell her thoughts were a million miles away. "They… they argued about many things. They were friends… close friends, I thought. It's just… they had very different priorities."

"How so?" Sarah asked gently.

Rene smiled as she began to speak. "John… John did all of it to be helpful. He didn't care about the bottom line, and how much he made."

"But Dr Black did?" Chuck inquired. Rene nodded. "That had to cause tension.

Rene snorted. "Oh, God, did it," she said, shaking her head. "But they were still friends." She was silent for a second. "If you don't mind…" She trailed off and pointed toward the other room.

"Of course," Sarah said. Rene nodded and walked out of the room. "Scoot," Sarah said, shooing him away from the computer. She went to open the desk drawer, but it was locked. She gave Chuck a look. "Do you want to get the key, or watch me?"

A grin covered his face. "You know what I want," he replied.

She chuckled, as she pulled a knife out of seemingly nowhere. Flicking her wrist, she opened it, and inserted it expertly but gently into the lock. A second later, the drawer opened. "You okay there, buddy?" she asked, seeing the look of awe on his face.

"Not even hardly," he breathed.

She didn't understand why that made her feel so happy inside. It was just banter, but the pride in his voice, the awe with which he saw her… men had been saying lines to Sarah Walker her whole life. Men had even said things they mean, but none of them, not a one, had ever caused a feeling in her like he just did with his not even hardly.

"What's that?" Chuck asked, pointing at a worn notebook.

Sarah reached into the drawer, pulling it out. She opened the book, and her eyes widened. "What?" Chuck asked. She showed it to him. "What language is that?"

"Russian," Sarah told him. "It's about Oxycodone." She was silent for a moment. "Come on." The two walked into the living room, where Rene was sitting. "Did your husband speak Russian?"

Rene laughed. "Yes," she said, nodding and smiling at the memory. "He wanted to know another language. He already spoke and understood Spanish, finding it useful. He loved learning, so he taught himself. Why?"

"This diary… it seems to be in Russian," Sarah said, holding it up.

"I see," Rene said. "You act like it might be important."

"I think it is. It probably needs to go to the police," Sarah began.

"No," Rene said, shaking her head. "You two take it, and figure this out."

"Rene," Sarah began.

"No…please." Tears were falling from her eyes.

"Okay," Sarah said softly. "We should probably go." Rene nodded, sniffing. "Come on, Chuck."

"I am so sorry," Chuck said. Rene nodded at him, tried to speak, but began to cry again. Sarah gently, but firmly, took his arm and lead him out of the house.

}o{

The ride back to the agency was quiet. Sarah glanced over at Chuck, who seemed to be deep in thought. "You taught me that there are really three basic categories murders fall under," he said softly. Sarah nodded. "Money, power, love/hate," he continued. He was silent for a few moments. "Kinda think we might have two of the three."

"Might have all three," Sarah said softly. "When you're close to someone – as close as those two seemed to be – I'm talking about the doctors here, not Rene…"

"No, I know," Chuck said nodding. He was silent for a few moments. "Damn it, I want you to read that journal, but I don't know if I want you to."

"I know, Chuck, I know," Sarah said shaking her head. "If Dr Black did this… how will Rene take it?" Chuck blew out a breath. She glanced over to him. "Regret becoming a PI?"

"What?" he asked, turning to her. "No, Sarah, no. This happens, whether or not I'm a PI. This happens for the reasons we said. Me being a PI means I can get justice for Rene, but that justice comes at a cost. Rene had the perfect scapegoat. Now… now it might very well be a friend and partner of her husband."

"There is a problem with all of that, you know?"

Chuck nodded. "Dr Black has no military background. While I guess his medical training might be enough, I don't think it is."

"He's also the wrong race, Chuck," Sarah pointed out.

"Oh, yeah… there's that." They rode silently for a bit. "Police really screwed this up, didn't they?"

"Royally," Sarah agreed. "Think I should dictate what I read, or type it out?"

"Dictate it," Chuck told her. "You can type fast, but not that fast."

"True," Sarah said, nodding as she pulled up in front of the building. They sat in the car, staring at the vehicle in front of them. "Is that who I think it is?"

"I mean, you had to know, right?"

Sarah glanced over at Chuck, and then looked back at the Nerd Herder. "How's he gonna react?"

Chuck laughed. "Sarah, Morgan has thought you were perfect for me from the moment he met you."

"Oh, I am aware," Sarah said, laughing as they got out of the car. "He was a little scary."

"I'm kinda shocked you offered me a job, to be honest," Chuck admitted. "The fact you handled him so easily is a testament to your badassery."

"While I appreciate your belief in my badassery, you do have to know that there was a little something-something about you that made me want to offer you a job," Sarah said, shoulder bumping him as they walked in together.

"Are you saying you found me attractive day one?" he asked, laughing. They got into the elevator, and he pushed the button for their floor. The elevator began to move. She startled him by her moving quickly, hitting the stop button on the elevator, and turning to look at him.

"Yeah, I am," Sarah told him. Chuck swallowed. Sarah was usually quiet. Sarah could be intense. Chuck had seen her quietly intense, but this… this look… "I want to be perfectly clear about something, Chuck Bartowski."

"It's never good when you use my full name," he muttered.

"I didn't say Charles Irving Bartowski," she said softly. She kept the serious look on her face, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a hint of a smile.

"Wait, that felt like that was hot," Chuck said, shaking his head.

"My reading a phone book would sound hot to you," Sarah pointed out.

"I really wish they were still around," he muttered.

She grabbed his jaw gently, but firmly between her thumb and forefinger. "Focus," she said softly, but with maximum intensity.

"Imma focusing, Imma focusing," he replied.

She was silent a second, holding his gaze with hers. "From the moment I met you, you put me first. You always put others first, so it's time I do something to maybe right that ship."

Chuck didn't say a peep. He knew better.

"I have been attracted to you, from the moment I met you. I'm not talking just about your physical good looks, or your hair, that I just do not understand but find myself having intense feelings about," she continued.

"I will cut it, or not cut it, however you want," he blurted out. She gave him a flat look, and he mimed zipping his lips the best he could, as she continued to hold his jaw.

"There's something about you that drew me to you. I don't mean for this to sound sappy, but being around you… it feels right. It feels… good. A good I had never experienced before. I knew I had fallen for you, but I couldn't say anything, and work with you."

The thing is, Chuck, I thought it was me having someone real to talk to that wasn't part of the CIA. Who wasn't part of some con. Wasn't someone that was trying to get me to do what they wanted done. I thought I would feel this with other people."

I was wrong."

Chuck stayed silent as she paused. He wasn't going to say anything, but his heart overwhelmed his mouth. "Sarah, thank you."

"Hang on, I'm not done. I just needed a second." Chuck nodded. "What I didn't realize is I had fallen in love with you, right then and there." Chuck's eyes widened. "What I didn't realize is that no one else would make me feel like you do when I'm around you. Working, talking, trying to figure out what in the hell your hair is doing."

"You've got a thing for my hair… is that what you're trying to say?"

Sarah just stared at him. "Seriously, I say all of that… and you try to kink-shame me? Seriously? I mean you like Nickelback, and you're trying to kink-shame me?"

"I don't think liking Nickelback is a kink," Chuck argued. She took her hand off his jaw. She had only been lightly holding it. She stepped up, to where their noses were inches apart. "If I have a kink, it's probably you."

Sarah shook her head. She leaned up to kiss him, and then quickly turned, hitting the button on the elevator for it to resume. She stood there, trying to hold back the laughter, knowing how over-dramatic he was being behind her.

His hand slipped into hers. "Thank you, Sarah," he said softly. "I need you to know I love you."

She turned to him. "I would say I know, but if I said that, you'd just flip out about me Star Wars-ing you, and I have too much to do today."

"Like thinking about my hair?" Chuck asked.

She shrugged. "What can I say, it vexes me."

"Wait… did you just OG Star Trek II me?" Chuck asked. The elevator doors opened, and she strode out grinning, knowing he was chasing after her. "Did you just Ricardo Montalbán me?" Sarah kept walking, grinning madly. She opened the door to the office to see Morgan and Anna talking. "Dude, she just Ricardo Montalbán-ed me," Chuck said to Morgan.

"Fantasy Island, or Star Trek II?" Morgan asked.

"Star Trek II," Chuck replied. "She said I vexed her."

"Ooooo," Morgan said. "So, you're done hiding it."

"Like you knew," Chuck countered. Sarah rolled her eyes and headed for her office, but paused at the door as she saw Anna watching Morgan.

"I totally knew," Morgan replied.

"Not possible, because if you did, you'd have told everyone," Chuck pointed out.

"You're forgetting something," Morgan said. "I was seen coming out of your apartment."

"Ellie," Chuck muttered.

"Yep, she saw me leave, and apparently I was skipping."

"Skipping?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, I was happy about the two of you finallyquitting the stupid dance you two do," Morgan replied. "No offense."

"Some offense," Sarah countered.

"It was a stupid dance, if we're honest, Sarah," Chuck said to her.

"I'd like to think it was elegant, and had some sophistication to it," Sarah replied. Chuck, Morgan, and Anna were all giving her a flat look. "Fine," she huffed. "We were stupid dumbasses. There. You happy?"

"Anyway," Morgan continued, "Ellie yelled at me. Not the way she does when she wants to have a moment alone and she's rethinking her choices with Awesome."

"She's never rethinking her choices about being with Awesome," Chuck told him.

Morgan was silent for a moment. "Oh, that's in my dreams."

"She's not good enough for you, Morgan," Anna cut in.

"I thought I wasn't good enough for her," Morgan admitted, shrugging. "Anyway, she told me that if I told anyone what was going on with you two, she would pull my hair out with tweezers."

"When you say hair?" Chuck began.

"All of it!" Morgan stressed. "Although she'd have to see me naked, and I don't think she thought that far ahead." He tilted his head and his eyes lit up as he had another thought. "Or, maybe she did and-"

"Please don't go there," Chuck begged.

"I won't," Morgan said, nodding. "I mean, I'm over her."

"Are you?" Chuck asked.

"No," Morgan admitted. "But I like to think I am."

"You've got a lot to offer the right person, Morgan," Anna told him.

"Thanks," Morgan replied. "Hey, are you doing anything Friday night?"

Anna smiled. "No."

"Oh," he said, almost disappointed. "I would have thought you had a date."

"I don't," she told him.

"Sorry," Morgan said. "Well, I need to go."

"Uh, Morgan," Chuck said quickly. "Maybe you should tell Anna why you asked her if she was doing anything Friday night."

"Oh," Morgan said, nodding. He turned to Anna. "See, there's this great new taco truck I found, that is perfectly priced, if not priced in favor of the consumer in the meat to price ratio. And the food is delicious. If you had a date, I was going to tell you where to find it."

"Maybe we should go some time," Anna said.

"Yeah, sure," Morgan said, nodding. "Good to meet you, Anna." Her eyes went wide as he turned to Chuck and Sarah. "And you two…" He shook his finger at them while he grinned. "I am so happy for the both of you."

"Hey, Morgan," Sarah began, trying to rescue Morgan from his cluelessness. "Maybe since Anna isn't doing anything Friday night, you could take her to the taco truck."

"Can't," Morgan replied. "I'm working." Anna plopped down in her chair.

"Buddy," Chuck said gently. "Aren't you off Thursday night?"

"Yeah, but that's gaming night," Morgan replied, giving Chuck a look like he was an idiot for forgetting. Suddenly a thought hit him. "Ohhh, you've got plans? Eh? Eh?" Chuck saw Anna blow out a frustrated breath.

"Morgs, I think Anna would like to go out with you," Chuck said. He hated to do it this way, but this was getting painful to watch.

"Ohhhhh." Morgan was silent for a second. He turned to Anna and pointed to himself. "Me?" Anna nodded. "I would love to, but you see… I don't have a car."

"How'd you get here, the bus?" Anna asked.

"No, I mean… I have a car, but it's a work car… it's not… a date car," Morgan began.

"He drives a Nerd Herder," Chuck said, trying to throw his friend a life preserver. Honestly, Chuck had been trying to throw Morgan life preservers this whole time to keep him from drowning, but Morgan kept swatting them away like a ninja… or a line cook at Waffle House.

"It's a car," Anna said with a shrug. "Unless you can't drive it on personal time."

"No, I do," Morgan told her. "What time and where should I meet you?"

"How about you pick her up here at six," Chuck offered.

"Smart, don't let me know where she lives, in case I'm a weirdo," Morgan said.

"More of a not letting her kill him and hide the body in her back yard," Chuck said in voice only Sarah could hear. Sarah held back her snicker. "So, I'll see you Thursday?"

"Sounds good," Anna replied. With that, Morgan left.

"Why?" Chuck asked Anna. "I mean, he's my friend, and I love him, but… Why?"

"He's a nice guy," Anna said with a shrug. "I'm sure Sarah has spent a lot of time getting you not to be an idiot." Chuck laughed and looked over at Sarah.

Sarah pressed her lips together, turned, and entered her office. "Wait," Chuck said, chasing after her. "I'm not an idiot."

"I didn't say you were," Sarah replied.

"But are you saying I never was, or that I'm not because of you?" Chuck asked. Silence. "SARAH!?"

Anna shook her head and went back to work.


A/N: I think most men can admit they have moments of being an idiot around those they are attracted to.

Next time….it's a big chapter, and anything I give, gives away a lot, so how about I give you the first two paragraphs, okay?

Sarah turned off her recording device on her phone, laid down the journal, and put her head in her hands. God damnit. That's all she could think. Everything was right here, and at the same time, nothing. Nothing that would stand up in a court of law. She lifted her head and now realized what Carina was doing. At least, she had a good idea.

She grabbed her phone and shot Carina a text. Tell me the truth, are you still with the DEA?

Oh. My. Things REALLY pick up next chapter, come on back, and if you have a second and can leave a review, that would be super. Take care friends, see you soon.