A/N: Welcome back. We continue with…shenanigans. Also to my beta….yeah, you earned your pay with this one. I screwed up those tenses badly, but he fixed them. Thank you again, sir.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

"Wait!" Chuck said, before Bradly could say anything. "There's something we need to do first."

"There is?" Sarah asked, confused.

"Actually, no. By we, I mean he, Bradly. He needs to go shower," Chuck pointed out. Bradly looked at Sarah, who nodded. "Go, do that, and let us get our heads together about what we're going to do, and how we're going to do it."

"Okay," Bradly said, nodding. "Thank you." He took Chuck's hand – which hadn't been offered – into both of his, shaking it vigorously. "You're a good man."

"Just trying to help," Chuck told him, watching Bradly get in his car and drive off. He turned to Sarah. "Do you think someone got drunk and passed out, came to, and managed to escape his trunk?"

"Didn't see any signs of that," Sarah said.

"What kind of signs would there be- you know what, I'm going to ask the question that I really want the answer." Sarah beamed at him, watching him try to contain his excitement. "You legit were locked in a trunk of a car and escaped, and know exactly what to look for?"

"Yup," Sarah chirped, watching her boyfriend trying not to lose his mind. "But, before you lose your shit over me breaking out of a trunk, I need you to know something: He and I… we never slept together. There was some kissing-"

"Sarah, as your boyfriend, you don't owe me any of this," Chuck began.

She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Chuck."

"As your friend," he continued, making her chuckle, knowing what was coming, "Gurrrrrl." He shook his head. "Why? I mean… if you told me he was a master linguist or was amazing in bed, maybe I could see it. But, Sarah… he's basic."

"Chuck… I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S LIKE IN BED!" Chuck looked around to make sure they were the only two down there. "And I have no idea how many languages he speaks, or why that's important…"

"You know, at some point you're gonna figure that out, and you'll probably swat me," he muttered.

"What I'm telling you is, there are no feelings there for him."

"Oh, that I know," Chuck told her. "But there are feelings there."

"I have no feelings for him," Sarah repeated, thinking he hadn't heard her.

"I know," he said, taking her hands in his. "But you have some feelings about this. Sarah… that man doesn't know you." She moved her jaw and looked away. "Sarah, he has no idea who you really are."

"Okay, I have to tell you something," she began.

"Again, I don't care what you two did," Chuck cut in.

"My mom set me up with him," Sarah continued.

"What you two did before us," and here Chuck emphasized the word with air-quote fingers, " is what you and him did, and all I can do as your friend is mock you mercilessly about it. The same way you would me if I did something stupid, and WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?"

"My mom set me up with him," she said softly. "She was telling me that I was… well… I was having feelings for you."

"Well, she wasn't wrong," Chuck agreed.

"Yeah," Sarah said. "Anyway, I refused because of our… situation."

"Oh, that damn thing," Chuck said, nodding.

"Yeah, that." She widened her eyes, and he chuckled. "So, she reverse-psychologied me. She told me about Bradly and how great he was, and how anyone who wasn't in love with someone would just have an amazing time with him."

"Your mom set you up," Chuck said, grinning.

"Yup," Sarah replied. She ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. She looked at the man she loved. "He is no Chuck Bartowski."

"How does someone that pretty, with a man bun, have that much money, and is… just boring?"

"I have no idea," Sarah admitted. "But here's what I know. He wouldn't make up having a dead body in his trunk."

"God, no," Chuck agreed. "He wouldn't have that kind of imagination." Sarah giggled at that. "Something happened, that I know. What I don't know is, are you okay with this?"

"Yes, are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Chuck asked. "I don't think I'm being macho or a caveman dude to say if you wanna run off with him over me…" He trailed off.

"You're better off without me," Sarah finished for him. Chuck nodded. "I am not running off with anyone but you, ever."

"Ever?" Sarah stared at him, realizing what they were saying. "See, this is where I bantered too far, and now we're both trying not to freak out."

"I'm sorry I've never really told you about mom or had you meet her," Sarah told him.

"Normally, this is where I would point out that you changed the subject on me, but since it helps me too, well done." Sarah did a quick curtsy, making Chuck laugh. "It's fine-"

"No, it's not," Sarah said, taking his hand. "I love you, Chuck." Chuck just stood there, unable to remove the stupid smile from his face. "I'd like you to meet my mom."

"I'd like you to meet mine, but I have no idea where she, or my father, are," Chuck replied. Sarah winced at that. "Too soon?"

"I mean, that would be your call if it's too soon or not," she reminded him.

"Probably too soon," Chuck said, nodding. "Why the hell would a body be in a wine vat?"

"No idea," Sarah admitted. "Wait, aren't we supposed to be prepping for this."

"Oh, we have," Chuck told her. "I just needed to make sure we had cleared the air and we were good."

"Always," she said, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him. "We're always good, Chuck."

}o{

A few hours later found the Porsche making its way along a dirt road through a vineyard. Chuck was a little surprised how long it had taken them to get there, considering Sarah was driving. Chuck glanced back at Bradly, but Chuck couldn't tell if Bradly cared about Sarah's driving. Probably something to do with being folded like an accordion into the miniscule back seat of the Porsche.

Oh, and a missing body, and all of that.

Chuck noticed some monks tending the grapes as they drove past. "Uh, who is that?"

"Those are the monks of the Costello monastery," Bradly told him. Chuck snorted, getting a look from Bradly.

"No, seriously," Sarah told Chuck. "It's the Costello monastery."

"They have an Abbott, right?" Chuck asked. Sarah shook her head.

"Hey, that's funny," Bradly said. Chuck gave Bradly a friendly smile and nod. "Here! Here!"

Sarah stopped the car, and the three got out to look around. "Are you sure?" Sarah asked. Chuck was watching Bradly as she asked, and saw the look on his face.

"Things not looking familiar?" Chuck asked him.

"Okay, can I be honest with you?" Bradly asked. "I had been at a wine tasting. I had to drag the body out to my car, it was heavy. I grabbed a few waters because I was thirsty, and moving a body quickly sobers you up. I figured I could find a gas station…"

"See," Chuck said, turning to Sarah. "You laugh about the Snapple bottle I keep for emergencies."

"Again, it's much easier for you to use a bottle. I just have to find somewhere to… squat," Sarah replied. She closed her eyes, realizing it wasn't just her and Chuck.

"Really, I didn't think you would be that kind of person, Sarah," Bradly said, softly.

"Well, when you're on a stakeout, there are things you have to do, you know?" Chuck offered. "Anywhoo, enough about the call of nature. Was there a particular tree, or bush, you might have used?"

Bradly looked around. "It's wine country," he said, sighing. "It all looks the same. It could have been by that tree over there. Maybe it was that tree over there. I don't know, it was so dark I can't tell now."

"I see," Chuck replied.

"But-but I was only there for a minute or two," Bradly insisted.

"Bradly… are you sure?" Chuck asked gently. "Listen, you found a dead body, you consumed a lot of liquid. It could have taken a lot, or-or, maybe you're like me, and having to go outside does cause certain… performance issues, and you can't go for a bit?"

"You should probably see a proctologist about that," Bradly said.

"I was going to, but the guy they wanted me to see had really thick fingers," Chuck told Bradly. Bradly winced. "You get it." Chuck turned to Sarah. "He gets it."

"Go to the damn doctor," Sarah told him. She turned to Bradly. "You didn't hear or see anything?"

"Oh, sure," Bradly answered, looking a bit crazed. "I hear a lot of things. I heard Harcourt tear up a year's worth of work in ten seconds. I heard the Board kick me out of the bank. I heard my whole life coming down around my ears! I saw that body in the vat, and suddenly I thought to myself, What would Sarah do about this?"

Sarah looked unimpressed, blowing out a frustrated breath. "So, you stuffed him in the trunk of the car, and ran away with it?" Sarah asked. "That's what you thought I'd do?"

"No, but you… you would figure this out. You wouldn't quit on a case until it was done, no matter what."

Chuck turned and was examining a tree, trying to stay out of a discussion that was clearly leaving the actual case, and becoming one of a more personal nature.

"The loan is set to go through in less than forty-eight hours. There were reporters all over the place. I HAD TO DO SOMETHING! If there was anyone I knew that would do whatever it took on a case, it was you, Sarah. If there was ever anyone that could figure this out, it was you."

"Okay," Sarah said, rubbing her forehead. She saw Chuck squatting, looking at something in the road. "Find something?"

"Some truck treads," Chuck said shrugging. "But that is something I would expect to find here." Sarah nodded. Chuck stood up, and wiped his hands against themselves, peering down the road. "There are maybe some, ah, rubber boots, a few horseshoe impressions, but again, in this area none of those are unusual."

"I see no reason we shouldn't continue on to the winery," Sarah suggested. She turned to Bradly. "Unless you have a different idea, a hunch, or something we missed?" Bradly shook his head.

Before they could move, a white horse with a well-dressed middle-aged woman astride came galloping down the road.

"Whoa, Arnold, whoa!" The horse reared up and threw the woman as it passed the parked car. Chuck, Sarah, and Bradly ran to assist her. Chuck reached her first, and held out his hand, as he tried to help her to her feet.

"Are you all right?" Chuck asked, as she took his hand and stood. She stared down the road where the horse had run off.

"Once more, Arnold my pet, ONCE MORE AND YOU'RE DOG MEAT, YOU HEAR ME?!" The woman turned around and glared at the three. "Is that your car there?" Chuck and Bradly both quickly pointed at Sarah.

"It's mine," Sarah told her.

"Arnold doesn't like cars, never has. What's it doing there?" The older woman was glaring at Sarah, and Chuck knew he had seconds to stop whatever this was about to devolve into.

"Well, we were just admiring the view," Chuck said, gesturing around.

"WHAT VIEW!" the older lady exploded.

Chuck gives her his best Buy More-perfected-customer-service smile. "Oh, to students of nature like ourselves even the most mundane surroundings can afford a… panorama, of delight."

The woman stared at Chuck for a second, shook her head and nearly growled. "I want that car out of here in five minutes."

"This is a public road you know," Sarah said, moving forward. Chuck gently grabbed her hand, and Sarah let out a breath. Chuck couldn't help but notice Bradly's face, shock clearly registering.

"Not when it runs through my land, it isn't," the woman replied. She turned as she heard Arnold trotting back towards her. "Don't you move from that spot, Arnold. You hear me?" The woman began walking down the road toward the horse. Chuck swore the horse was hanging its head in shame.

"You okay?" Chuck asked Sarah softly. She grinned at him. "What?"

"I was only mad because of how she spoke to you," Sarah told him. "Nobody talks to you that way."

"Except you?" Chuck asked. She snorted.

"I mean, duh," she said, heading back to the car. "On to the winery?"

"Yeah," Chuck agreed. The three got in the car and took off.

}o{

Sarah pulled up to Claude Vandermeer Vineyards. Chuck got out of the car, holding the seat forward for Bradly to get out. "I need to run to the restroom, I'll meet you inside," Sarah told Chuck. Chuck nodded at her, and watched her jog inside. After Bradly unfolded out of the backseat, Chuck shut the door and locked the car. He started inside, but Bradly grabbed his arm.

"I owe you an apology," Bradly said. "I thought you were trying to steal my girl from me. Turns out, she was never mine."

"She's not anyone's, Bradly," Chuck told him.

"Yeah, but… I don't know her." Chuck gave Bradly a look, saying nothing. "Listen, it's obvious she never let me in." Bradly was silent for a moment. "I took her to a… party."

"I don't think this is any of my business," Chuck told him.

"No, you don't understand," Bradly said. "I took her to show off." He shook his head. "Here I was dating a gorgeous woman… admittedly, we only went out twice."

"Really?" Chuck asked.

"We texted a lot to start, and one of the first times she was free to go out with me was to a company get-together," Bradly said. "She was obviously bored, but refused to say so. At one point, she just seemed frustrated by some of the stories people were telling, and she made this snorting sound."

"Oh, God," Chuck muttered. "She was either really amused, or thought something was bullshit."

"She thought something was bullshit," Bradly admitted. He stuck his hands in his pants. "She told a story to some of my coworkers of being in Acapulco a few years ago, and doing a fan dance that had the attention of every man in the bar."

Chuck grinned. He knew that story. What he was sure Bradly didn't know was that Sarah was the distraction, and Amy was the lookout. Carina and Zondra had gotten into the bar's safe to retrieve something. What that was, Chuck wasn't sure, and didn't care.

"Anyway," Bradly said, pulling Chuck out of his thoughts. "I got upset about it, because I thought she was trying to out bullshit those guys."

"Oh boy," Chuck muttered.

"Yeah," Bradly said. "She broke the next two dates, said she had she had stuff going on. I thought she was seeing you… like… you know."

"I'm afraid I don't, but more importantly, don't need to know," Chuck insisted.

"I thought she was sleeping with you," Bradly said. "I thought she was playing me for a fool."

"I think this is a conversation you need to have with Sarah," Chuck told Bradly. "We need to get inside."

"No, I need to apologize to you," Bradly insisted.

Chuck stopped walking, and turned toward Bradly. "Listen, I don't know what's going on in your head, but you owe me nothing. Now, Sarah… I don't know. I don't know what you said, what was implied, or anything. Perhaps you need to talk to her."

"I guess you're right," Bradly said, as the two began to walk. "I know everything went okay with that last case you two were working, with Representative Fulcrum." Chuck kept his face in check but he wanted to wince just at the thought of that entire case. "Did you have any problems with Citi Alpha?"

Chuck stopped walking. "Citi Alpha?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah, she said there was a case you were working on for Citi Alpha," Bradly told him.

"Yeah, yeah," Chuck replied. "Just a lot of cases, you know?" Bradly nodded as the two headed inside. There was no Citi Alpha Case. Chuck thought back to that night when Sarah was texting while watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and had asked her if everything was okay. He would never forget her response.

"Yeah," she said smiling, looking up from the text and putting her phone away. "I told someone that I had to see about Ceti Alpha."

"It's Ceti Alpha V they are on, but they think it's Ceti Alpha VI," Chuck corrected.

"It doesn't matter to them," Sarah said, snuggling into Chuck's arm. "I just don't feel like going out tonight."

Chuck lead Bradly inside.

}o{

Chuck and Bradly found Sarah and the trio headed deeper into the winery. As they walked down one of the aisles, pallets filled with boxes on either side, a man rushed up to them, clearly nervous.

"Bradly," The man began. "Thank God. I was so worried about you when you disappeared last night without a word."

"Something sort of came up, suddenly," Bradly said. Chuck and Sarah shared a glance, unseen by the other two men.

"I guess waiting for final approval on the loan has us all a bit strained," the man agreed.

"Bradly was so excited about something in your wine he insisted we come up and have a look," Sarah said, smiling at the man who was talking to them. She glanced at Bradly.

"Oh, excuse me, this is Claude Vandermeer," Bradly said by way of introduction. "This is Sarah Walker and-"

Chuck cut Bradly off. "Lindsey-Woolsey, Nigel Lindsey-Woolsey. Bradly asked us not to say anything but I'm preparing a vlog on the best California wines."

"A vlog?" Claude asked.

"Yes, a vlog," Chuck continued. "What you may not know is those that are in the computer field as… shall we say, those that get into places they shouldn't, if you know what I mean?" Claude nodded that he did, but it was clear he had no idea. "Those folks like to partake in a little libation to not get caught, and to lube the old mental gears."

"I had no idea," Claude admitted.

"Most don't," Sarah said, keeping her face neutral, staring at Chuck.

"Sarah is my assistant and if the reports can be trusted, we might do a feature on your cabernet. Mind if we have a look around?"

Claude's face lit up. "For a feature… vlog?" Chuck nodded. "I'll personally give you a grand tour!" Claude looked over at Bradly. "Bradly, when you grab something, you run with it!"

Bradly laughed nervously as Claude led them over to the equipment.

"Just as far and as fast as he can," Sarah muttered to Chuck. "And what was that?"

"We can't let him know we're detectives, or he'll ask why, and I'm sure a body in his wine would not do anyone any good."

"Especially the dead person," Sarah muttered.

Claude began to show Bradly the machinery, as Chuck and Sarah followed, looking over the whole process.

"Sarah, would you say that, in your experience, Brady see things from… an unusual perspective?" Chuck asked, as they stopped at a conveyor belt away from the other two men.

"To be fair, I'm not sure if I ever knew what he saw," Sarah admitted. "Why?"

"Well, he claims he took a body from a vat of wine, and the body has…" Chuck trailed off and threw his hands open with his fingers wide while blowing out a puff of air.

"You think he's making this up?" Sarah asked.

"No, but Bradly seems to be under extreme stress from the business loan," Chuck began. While Chuck was talking, Claude pressed a button, starting the equipment. "What if the man he found was simply intoxicated."

"I don't know, Chuck. That's really drunk, and if so, how did he survive being in the vat?" Sarah countered.

No one saw the hand drop from the now moving conveyor belt.

"Bradly has made a career out of being accurate and specific… very specific." Chuck winced a bit. "That all being said, if he said it was a body, there's a better than even chance…" She stopped talking as they both saw the body roll down the conveyor belt and come to a stop in front of them.

"You've made your point," Chuck said, looking down at the body, and then back up to Sarah. "He saw a body."

Bradly rushed up to them. "Did I just see what I think I saw?"

"You mean a dead body?" Chuck asked.

"IT'S HIM!" Bradly shouted.

"Who's him?" Claude asked, walking up behind them.

"It's the body," Bradly told him.

"You know, this could be found as comical," Chuck said in a low tone to Sarah.

"There's a dead man, we should be more respectful," Sarah pointed out.

"You're absolutely right," Chuck told her. "However, I am unsure if I have the ability."

"I know I don't," Sarah agreed.

"Who is it?" Claude asked.

"Wait, we're on," Sarah told Chuck. "You don't recognize this man?" Sarah asked out loud.

"Oh, I do," Bradly said. "I recognize him."

"Who is it?" Claude asked.

"No idea who he is, he's just the guy that I found in your vat last night," Bradly told Claude.

Claude looked like he might have a stroke.

"I was wrong, this is kinda hilarious," Chuck said to Sarah in a low voice. She swatted him in the stomach without even looking at him.

"Why did you put him on the conveyor belt?" Claude asked.

"I didn't," Bradly explained. "I fished him out of the vat and put him in my trunk."

"How'd he get back here?" Claude asked.

"I HAVE NO IDEA!" Bradly exclaimed, looking near crazed.

"This is what happens when the Costello Monastery is just down the road," Chuck said softly to Sarah, who swatted him in the stomach again. Chuck cleared his throat, stepped forward, and examined the body. "There appears to be a blow to the back of the head."

"Enough to make him drown in a vat?" Sarah asked.

"How would I know?" Chuck said with a shrug.

"Wait, what vat? My vat?" Claude asked, starting to get the whole picture.

Bradly started to reply, when they all heard a voice sing out. "Jefferies, you back there?" Bradly turned pale, and spun toward Sarah.

"Oh God! It's Harcourt. That means Westfield. The whole Board is here!" Bradly looked ready to pass out.

Claude looked at Bradly, guiltily. "I was expecting them sometime today but,"

"JEFFERIES!" the voice through the plant.

Bradly spins to Sarah. "Please, please help me."

"Give me as much time as you can," she said as she waved Bradly away. "Go on, go on." Bradly and Claude hurried, away as Chuck and Sarah stood there.

"So, good news, your ex wasn't dreaming about the body," Chuck said. Sarah turned to him and gave him a look. "Please don't hurt your boyfriend."

"We've got to do something with him," Sarah told Chuck.

"This feels like a bad remake of Weekend at Bernies," Chuck lamented.

"Do you have any ideas?" Sarah asked.

"One, but you ain't gonna like it," Chuck told her.

A/N: ….For the guest who guessed where I got this idea from, you are correct. I knew I needed shenanigans, and as I was reading the synopsis of the ep….well….how could I resist.

Next time:

"Sarah, you don't owe me anything," Chuck told her.

"I appreciate that, but sir, this is for me." Chuck nodded. "I need to….explain, set the mood, if you will."

"Okay," Chuck said, confused.

"When I was in the CAT Squad, we were young women, doing dangerous jobs. We were sent to take out some of the worst of the worst," Sarah began. She sighed against him, and then sat up, and looked him in the eyes. "Chuck, there were so many missions that we thought we weren't going to make it out of. It's why the fact one of us was a traitor hurt so bad, we had this sisterhood bonded in blood, and in our celebrations afterward."

She was silent for a second, shrugged, and then blurted out, "Carina always said I was the wildest one of us."

Oh damn, we done went and got serious. Like…serious, serious. Come on back next time for some serious shenanigans. (I mean we have a body in a barrel, how serious can it get?)