A/N 1: I don't know why I struggle with this. I'm all worried about staying canon faithful and then I realize the right person isn't writing this. This is CQ.

a/n 2: Chapter 12 Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

The two sat beside each other, in an interrogation room, staring at their captor on the other side of the table. Their captor shook his head. They were both stubborn, both being pig-headed. And he knew, deep-down, it was partly his fault.

Casey sighed. He just wanted this to be over. All he wanted was for the ladyfeelings to go away. Just a few days ago, everything was fine, and then the first mention of a wedding… Casey sighed again. He knew he was going to have to start this. "Who wants to go first?" he asked, sounding pained.

"I don't think…" Chuck began.

"That's the first true reasonable you've said all day," Casey snapped. He knew he shouldn't have, but God, these two. They were getting on his damn nerves.

"Hey," Sarah said, standing. Casey rose to his full height.

"Listen, we both know you can whip my ass, but I have been yelled at by Beckman, because you two can't get your shit straight. What the hell is going on with you?" Casey asked, his nostrils flaring.

"You're part of the problem!" Chuck blurted out. Casey gave him a look, and Chuck stood as well. "You are!"

The nerd was right, but first things were first: Things had gone south at the Biomedical conference, and that had to be dealt with. The problem, though, was this was an agent thing. And right now, Chuck's current state was a liability. He needed to interrogate the others they had captured, and for that, he needed his partner.

"Come on," Casey said to Walker. Chuck started to follow. "Nope, the grown… ahem. I mean…" Casey glanced at Sarah, struggling. "A little help?"

"Nope," Sarah told him, arms crossed, defiance on her face.

"Fine," Casey said, and turned to Chuck. "How about you sit here, and think about what you did?"

"What I did?" Chuck asked.

"Yes, what you did," Casey told him. Chuck plopped down in the chair like a petulant child. "We have a suspect to interrogate." Sarah walked out the door, as Casey paused. He turned back to Chuck and spoke, his voice low. "I don't know what happened to the Bartowski that's been around the past few weeks, but you need to find him."

"He's right here," Chuck said, spreading his hands. "I am right here, Casey."

"No," Casey said softly. "No, the old Chuck is back." Casey left the room, shutting the door behind him, as Chuck thought about what Casey had said.

}o{

Chuck sat at the interrogation table, alone. He knew what Casey was trying to do, and he wasn't going to let him. Chuck Bartowski wasn't going to break. It didn't matter how long they left him there by himself. He wouldn't break. He refused to break.

"HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP ME HERE!" he found himself screaming.

"How long was it?" Sarah asked in an exasperated sigh.

"Three and a half minutes, Walker," Casey told her. "What the hell were you two thinking!" he yelled, slamming his hand down, making Chuck jump in the next room.

"John, it's my fault," Ellie told him. Casey swallowed. She raised an eyebrow. "Do I scare you, John?"

"You do not," Casey replied. "However, I see no point in crossing you." He looked back at Chuck, who was tapping his foot impatiently, and turned back to the two women in the room. "I assume you had a good reason to get him wound up?"

"He was fine when I left him with you," Sarah reminded him. "Then, somehow, he made it to the convention center with two doctors." Her arms were crossed, and she was staring daggers at Casey.

"John told him to go see Devon," Ellie told Sarah. "Devon is dealing with some… issues." Casey's eyebrow went up. Ellie sighed. "He thinks I'm falling for another man."

Casey stared at Ellie, confusion all over his face. "Your boyfriend? Devon Woodcomb? That Devon?"

"Yes, John, he has some insecurities just like every other guy," Ellie told him. Casey grunted, amused. "Turns out, the man he thinks I'm falling for isn't interested me at all… or any other woman."

Casey thought about that for a second. "Ooooooh," Casey said, understanding. "So… why was he at the conference?"

"Because I told Sarah to come see me about wedding stuff, instead of what was really going on," Ellie told Casey. Casey waited patiently. "Jill."

"Who or what is a Jill?" Casey asked, completely confused at this point.

"A soulless-demon-she-witch-harpy-from-hell-hag, who dumped Chuck, destroyed his self-confidence until Sarah showed up, and is my mortal enemy," Ellie said, her eyes blazing. "So you understand why I had to talk to Sarah, and how this is somewhat your fault."

"Wait, all of this was over Jill Roberts?" Casey asked, confused. "Bartowski told me he saw her at the conference, and I confirmed I had as well." He was silent for a second.

"It's fine; Morgan told us how everyone in the Buy More is required to recognize her on sight," Ellie told him. Casey was silent a second, thinking about everything they had said to him, and then he grinned.

"Actually, it is not my fault at all," Casey countered. Sarah and Ellie stared at Casey. He raised his hands. "I went with what I was told. I was told you two were talking wedding things, which was freaking Bartowski out, a little."

"What?" Ellie asked, confused. "I don't understand how that's a bad thing." Casey sighed.

"You were talking to Walker about weddings, given everything Walker has been through? And now she's starting to feel things, and Bartowski, being the guy he is, worrying about Walker-"

"Oh God," Sarah muttered, cutting in as realization set in. "Chuck probably would have come up with you having gotten me to talk about weddings, which in turn…" Sarah trailed off, staring at Ellie. Ellie rubbed her forehead, knowing her brother, and knowing exactly where his mind would have taken him.

"So, I decided to get in front of it, and told Bartowski to go talk to Devon. Which we all know is one of the reasons he's been… better?" Casey offered. Sarah and Ellie both nodded.

"That's actually a very sound idea," Sarah admitted.

"So what we have here, is a failure in communication with you two," Casey ended, proud of himself.

"You say you don't like ladyfeelings, but you sure do seem to get involved with them a lot," Ellie pointed out. Casey cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable.

"We need to fix this," Sarah said to Ellie.

"No, what you need to do is talk to numbnuts," Casey told Sarah. She glared at him. "Don't start with me, I've been wanting to call him a lot worse than that all day." Casey turned to Ellie. "So, you say you hate Jill?" Ellie nodded.

Casey grinned, evilly.

}o{

Sarah opened the door, and his head jerked up.

"I'm sorry," Chuck blurted out. Sarah started to speak, but he stood, shaking his head. "No, I need… you deserve to hear this. I got caught up in some foolishness, some panic, some… some shenanigans, and it led to a lot of… well, stupidity, on my part."

"Chuck," she tried to begin.

"No, Sarah, please," he pleaded. She nodded for him to go on. "It's no secret how I feel about you, how you feel about me. But we come from two very different worlds. I need you to know that me freaking out, it was about me failing you. It was about me making sure you moved at your speed, that Ellie wasn't rushing you, that wherever you are on your… journey, I guess, I'm with you. As long as you'll have me. Sarah, I love you, and all I want is to make you happy."

"You don't get to do that," she replied softly. Chuck pulled in his chin, confused. "You don't get to give up on your dream, on what you want, just to make me happy. You don't get to settle, because if you do… if you do, then one day, you'll resent me and hate me."

"I could never-"

"Yes, you could, because I've done it," Sarah told him. "That's the problem with me and my dad. I did what I thought he wanted, what would make him happy, so he'd stay. But he didn't, because it wasn't about me. If I had told you the truth, if I hadn't lied and said this was about wedding stuff, none of this would have happened."

"Okay, that's true," Chuck agreed. "But there is a… there's something hanging over us." Sarah crossed her arms, as if to shield herself. "Sarah," he said gently, "you do know this sort of thing happens in all normal relationships… right?"

She tilted her head, studying him, a grin slowly playing on her lips. "Normal couples do this?"

"I mean, not usually in interrogation rooms," Chuck told her. "Although I know some couples who would use interrogation rooms as… you know what, perhaps I shouldn't finish that sentence." Sarah's smile began to grow. "Sarah, there's a two-way mirror over there."

"I turned off the surveillance," Sarah told him, walking towards him. "Tell me, Mr. Bartowski. Do you have the information?"

"Uh, what information?" Chuck asked. Sarah walked by him, her finger on his shoulder, then trailing across it, over his neck and onto to the other shoulder, making him shiver.

"So, we're going to do this the hard way," she said, glancing down at his crotch and then back at him.

Chuck's eyes went wide.

}o{

Jill sat there, looking at her two interrogators. She turned to the large scowling man. "You don't scare me."

"I know," Casey answered. He yawned and leaned back in his chair. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked the woman sitting beside him.

"I would love one," Ellie answered. Casey nodded, and stood.

"Wait, you cannot leave me in here with her," Jill protested. Casey shrugged and walked to the door. "I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING!" John's hand touched the doorknob.

"I'M PART OF FULCRUM!"

}o{

"So, there's an item kept in in the room of Jill's associate," Ellie began.

"Her boy-toy," Casey added.

"He's older than her," Chuck said raising his finger, cutting in. "So, wouldn't that make him her…" He trailed off and looked over at Sarah.

"Please, I'm begging you… finish whatever it was you were going to say," Sarah pleaded.

"I'm just gonna… go ahead, Casey," Chuck said, shaking his head. Casey grunted.

"So, we have a couple of options," Ellie said, trying to get the briefing back on course. She was deeply curious how they could be as successful as they were, if this was the norm for them. "The first is for Chuck and Sarah to rent a room on the floor, and crawl through the vents."

"The hotel is known for where rich men take their high-priced escorts for trysts," Casey said. "It's the most believable option."

"Are you calling Sarah," Chuck began.

"No," Sarah said, stepping past Chuck and getting into Casey's face. "He doesn't think your worthy of me."

"It's not that he's not worthy of you. It's that people don't know him, and one look at you two, there has to be a reason why you're together," Casey told her. Chuck gently stepped between Sarah and Casey, surprising both of his teammates.

"You can say whatever you want about me, but to suggest my girlfriend-" Chuck began. Sarah spun him around to face her.

"No, he cannot say whatever he wants to about you," she contradicted him. "And you don't get to let him say whatever he wants to about you!"

"Told you that was a bad idea," Casey said to Ellie.

"The other option is Sarah and Chuck to simply sneak into Guy's room, and look for the object," Ellie continued. "I just thought Sarah might want to wear something sexy."

"She's welcome to wear whatever she wants, but to make her look like a-"

"Listen to me, Chuck," Sarah said, spinning him around, and making him look her in the eye. "On this job, I will wear whatever is required, and do so gladly. Do you know why?" Chuck shook his head. "Because I'm saving lives. And honestly, only a few people in this world have opinions that matter to me."

"I think your breathtakingly gorgeous, if my opinion counts," Ellie said.

"Aww, thank you, Ellie," Sarah said to her. She turned back to Chuck. "And you are the other person I care about, as far as opinions are concerned."

"You shouldn't have to-"

"Charles Irving Bartowski," Sarah began.

"Eep!" Chuck squeaked.

"I'm not out there sleeping with anyone. Everything is covered, and if me looking that way, on your arm, gets the job done, then I will do it. Are we clear?"

Chuck didn't answer for a moment. He swallowed, then spoke. "Sarah, you know I have your back. But I am damn tired of the first idea in everyone's head is to put Sarah in something slinky, and parade her around like a piece of meat. I am well aware that there are situations that require it, and you will do it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. It irks me to see you used in that way when there are other, more reasonable and less tawdry, alternatives."

"Blame Roan," Casey said. Chuck and Sarah turned to him, and he shrugged. "Between him and that Bond guy in the movies, everyone's first thought about spying is it's all sexy. I'm a great spy, and… huh." He stopped, and thought about what he was about to say.

"Did Casey just self-burn himself?" Chuck asked Sarah, sotto voce.

"Mmhmm," Sarah hummed. "What about my red dress?"

"I see a lot of good with that plan; one downside, but that's it," Chuck admitted.

"What's the downside?" Sarah asked, curious.

"I'm really gonna have trouble concentrating on the mission," Chuck told her. "Hey, Casey, do we know how to open the item we're retrieving?"

"No. While you're extracting it, I'm going to work on Guy and find out what's in there and how to open the package," Casey told them. "Do you think you two can behave without a chaperone?"

"Who, us?" Chuck asked. "We've got this."

Casey grunted, speculatively.

}o{

"So that's what you were going to wear?" Chuck asked, looking at the outfit that was on the bed, trying not to gulp loudly.

"Yup," Sarah said from the bathroom.

"I could see where seeing that would make someone think that you were an escort," Chuck continued, his back to the bathroom door as Sarah walked out.

"That's what it's supposed to do," Sarah said, letting her right hand's fingers drag on his right shoulder toward his neck. He instinctively turned toward the sensation, but she was already moving to his left, her fingers continually running across his neck and over his left shoulder. He finally turned his head the proper way to make eye contact with her. "I suppose this will have to do."

"Good God, you're so pretty," he blurted out. The smile she gave him made him smile in turn.

"I suppose Mr. and Mr. Carmichael should head toward their hotel room," Sarah continued.

"Mr. Carmichael is such a lucky man," Chuck muttered.

"Not have as lucky as Mr. Bartowski," Sarah told him. With that, she turned and left the room. "Pick your tongue up off the floor, and let's go!" she yelled back into the room. He shook his head, and hurried after her.

}o{

Casey sat down across from Guy, pulled out a knife, flicked out the blade and began to peel an apple. By the time the first slice had been cut, Guy was telling Casey everything about the device.

"Wait," Casey said. "You're telling me when they open it, a powder will spray out, and it's Hi-C?"

"Correct," Guy said, shaking.

"Excellent," Casey said, chuckling.

}o{

In the room

"OH MY GOD WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Chuck screamed. Sarah quickly pushed him toward the shower, and shoved Chuck in. She hit the button on her earpiece.

"Casey! An unidentified power has covered us! I am initiating containment protocols," Sarah barked, ripping the clothes off Chuck and turning on the water. Chuck eeped, but began to pull at her clothes. "What are you doing?"

"You were exposed as well," he reminded her. She let Chuck help her shed clothes.

"Walker, you should know that powder is benign," Casey told her. She could hear the humor in his voice. "But, has Bartowski gone through proper protocols of how to help a fellow agent in case of contamination? And for the love of God, turn off your comms." With that, Casey clicked off the mike.

Sarah pulled out her earpiece, as Chuck helped her out of her pants. "What do I do?" he asked, panic in his voice.

"I need you to make sure all the powder is off of me," she said holding up her arms. Chuck began to vigorously scrub her exposed flesh.

"Are we gonna be okay, Sarah?" Chuck asked her. She took his face in her hands, and stared into his eyes.

"Chuck Bartowski, you're going to live to be a ripe old age, and die of a heart attack in your nineties because we made love too long that day," she told him.

"Have-have you thought about this?" he asked, caught in her gaze. She shook her head, and he couldn't help the disappointment that showed on his face.

"I've dreamed about it," she told him softly. Her lips captured his, and she moved to help him remove his boxers.

"What are you doing?" Chuck asked.

"Making sure you are completely clean, then practicing for your eventual demise," Sarah told him. "I know how you worry about things, and I think we should practice as much as possible to make sure you get everything right."

"We do have several years," Chuck pointed out.

"Practice makes perfect, Chuck," Sarah replied, kissing him.

"The things you do for me," he managed to get out around her kissing him.

"The things I'm about to do to you," she countered.

}o{

"So, it was Hi-C," Chuck said again.

"Yes, numb… Chuck," Casey said, exasperated. "I sang the note, found the piece, took a team to extract the final piece at the opera house-"

"You took my sister," Chuck cut in.

"Jill was with him, and I wanted to make sure that she knew I wasn't playing," Ellie told Chuck.

The color drained from Chuck's face. "What did you do to her?" he asked in a low voice.

"Nothing," Elie assured him. "I promise."

"She's telling the truth, Bartowski," Casey confirmed, smirking. "She just constantly glared at Roberts. Roberts sang like a canary, and opened the trigger on the box so it wouldn't blow."

"Blow!?"

"Calm down," Casey said. "Roberts was more worried about what would happen to her if we left without opening that box and left her to Ellie, than if she were to screw up what she was doing."

"We captured so many bad guys," Ellie told him proudly.

"Beckman is stupidly pleased," Casey confirmed. "So, if there's nothing else… good work team." With that Casey left the three of them alone.

"You knew it was Hi-C?" Chuck asked Sarah.

"You really needed that training in a believable environment," Sarah replied, shrugging.

"Thank you," Chuck told her. Ellie shook her head at the two of them.

"Maybe you need to give Devon a talk," Ellie said, chuckling.

"You know, Ellie, men do worry that they're not enough, regardless of what they look like," Chuck said softly. Ellie straightened. "I know what was going on was good fun for you, but Devon was concerned. True, he had no reason to be, but he was." Ellie winced. "It was good to give him an ego check, but… sometimes we need reassurances." He paused for a second. "And some of us need constant reassurances. Not because we don't believe you, but sometimes we have trouble believing someone as wonderful as you could choose someone like us."

"If you'll excuse me, I have a wedding to plan with my soon-to-be husband," Ellie said. She paused at the top of the stairs. "Chuck, you do know I'm proud of you, right?" She smiled at him. "In case you don't… Chuck Bartowski, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Ellie," Chuck replied. Ellie smiled at him again, and left.

"Hey, I want you to know I'm choosing you," Sarah told him, shoulder bumping him.

"I think that poison has fried your brain," Chuck told her, grinning.

"Keep it up, and I'll fry your brain," she retorted.

"God that sounded hot and dirty, and yet so very clean."

"Like, in the shower clean?" Sarah asked. "And before you ask, or wonder, you are the first person I have ever given that extensive an exercise in on the job training, and you will be the last."

"I love you, Sarah, and I'm glad you chose me."

"I'm glad you chose me," she told him. "Now, let's go home."

"I am home. Home is where the heart is, and I'm with you." Sarah sat there, staring at him. "Too much?"

"I think we need more training," she said, getting up and heading toward the door.

"Get your jaw off the ground, and let's go."

A/N: Next time, Thanksgiving. Good thing nothing ever happens at Thanksgiving…and CQ is writing….oh Lord.