A/N: This OTP is a little different. Still trying to shrug off long-term Covid. I hope I can still do this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

She heard the groan as she walked by the alley. Usually she ignored those sounds coming from alleys, because…well, what was going on in there would probably scar a person's psyche for life. However, this grow, it sounded like someone in pain. She walked past, and stopped. Something told her that she needed to go see what was going on. Sarah steeled herself, turned and entered the alley.

It was dark in the alley, as alley's are, and it took her a second to make out the figure on the ground. Someone was crumpled up, groaning. "You okay?"

"Yeah," came the voice, but it was the most unconvincing yeah she ever heard. "I'm fine."

"Well, you certainly sound fine," she said, heading toward the person on the ground. The clothes looked new, he didn't look homeless. She hoped she wasn't getting herself involved with someone on drugs. She gently touched his shoulder and rolled him to his back. She gasped.

She recognized him immediately, it was Chuck….what was his last name? He lived in the same apartment complex as her. His sister and her boyfriend had an apartment, and he had one there as well. She lived across from the both of them, in Echo Park. His sister Ellie had been very gracious towards Sarah, and Sarah really like Ellie.

Sarah was still adjusting to a normal life after leaving the CIA and working in the "real world". She found it funny that she lived very close to Chuck, worked in a building across the street from Chuck, but yet had never met him. She had thought he was cute, especially kind to everyone, and charming. She could think of no reason he should look like this.

"Yeah, I know, it looks worse than it feels," Chuck muttered, responding to her gasp. "Do I know you?"

"Sarah Walker," she said. "I live in the same apartment complex as you."

"Chuck Bartowski," he replied. He tried to lift his arm to shake her hand but he grunted in pain. "You'll forgive me if I don't shake your hand right now."

"It's okay," she assured him. She reached down, and gingerly titled his chin up to get a better look at his face. There was a bit of blood on his lip, and she delicately thumbed away the streak of blood. She said nothing as she examined him. Chuck watched her as she locked eyes with him. He felt his heart skip a beat as he heard her speak, her voice quiet and intense. The anger barely restrained.

"Who did this to you?"

"I-I don't know," Chuck admitted, shaking his head. "Whoever it was had a mask on. Took my wallet and cell phone." She gently moved his hair, looking for bruising. "Sarah….I really hurt."

"Okay, do I get you to the hospital?" she asked.

Chuck shook his head. "No, I just want to go home, but I ride bus-"

"My car is in the garage over there," she said, nodding her head towards it. "I'm not sure it will be very comfortable for you, it's kinda small."

"You don't-" he started to argue, but saw the look in her eyes. He found himself swallowing. "I would love a ride home." She nodded, and gently helped him up the best she could. She moved to where his arm was over her shoulders and she helped him, slowly and gently to her car. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of," Sarah told him.

"Oh, I'm not ashamed," Chuck said, shaking his head. "I'm just thankful for whatever reason you didn't listen to me. I really didn't want to be a bother-"

"A bother!?" she asked, as she helped him into the car. "Chuck, you were mugged!"

She went around and got in the driver's side, and started the car. "It's just, Ellie is gonna worry, and want me to file a police report, and you…" he trailed off.

"You what?" She asked.

"Well, now I have you involved, and…please don't take this the wrong way, but…you sounded like you were going to personally beat up whoever that was that mugged me."

"Why would I take that the wrong way?" She asked as she pulled out into traffic, heading home. She looked over at him and grinned. "I totally was."

}o{

"Thank you!" Ellie said, rushing into Chuck's apartment. Sarah had gotten Chuck home, called the police, stood by him as he gave his report to the officer that came by, and then helped him clean up after he worried what Ellie was going to say about the cuts on his face and bruises on his body.

"It's no problem," Sarah assured Ellie.

"You don't understand," Ellie said, shaking her head. "He's always helping others, but doesn't want to be a burden on anyone else. Thank you," Ellie told her, squeezing Sarah's elbow. Ellie headed over to her brother as Sarah stood there and watched the two.

"I'm gonna go," Sarah said.

"Wait," Chuck said, trying to stand and groaning.

"Do not stand up, Chuck, it's fine," Sarah assured him.

"Thank you," Chuck told her sincerely. She smiled, nodded, and headed out the door. As soon as she got outside, she nearly fled to her apartment.

}o{

She was sitting on her bed, swiping through her phone, looking for anything to take her mind off today, and the voice that continued to play through it.

He's always helping others, but doesn't want to be a burden on anyone else.

Twice, she had almost gone over to his apartment, to tell him he would be riding with her to work tomorrow. Twice she had chicken out. Not because she was scared of him, or being near him….okay, he made her a little nervous, but, because she couldn't take away his agency. She knew if she asked, he would say no. She put down her phone on her bed, in frustration, and blew out a breath.

"You're not even dating the guy, and you're getting up early for him?" she grumbled to herself. She reached over and sat her alarm thirty minutes earlier than it normally was. She grumbled, crawled into bed, and yanked the covers over his head. As she drifted off, she couldn't stop the smile on her face as she thought about what she would do to those jerks if she caught them.

}o{

She was sipping coffee, watching his door, when he finally left. He looked okay from a distance, his gait was only slightly off. If she didn't know what to look for, she probably wouldn't have noticed it. Okay, that was a lie. Ninety-five percent of people wouldn't notice it. Years of CIA training gave her no choice but to notice it.

As he rounded the corner, heading to the bus stop, she hurried out the door to her car. She hopped in, started it, and took off. She knew she had the bus beat no problem, but she did enjoy driving fast. She grinned as she shot down the street.

}o{

She stood around the corner from the bus stop, looking at her phone….well, her phone was open. She was waiting for the bus to pull up. As it did, she put her phone in her bag, adjusted it, and started to walk. She timed it perfectly as Chuck stepped off the bus. "Hey, Chuck," she said warmly.

Chuck's eyes widened in surprise. "Sarah? What are you doing here?"

"I work in the building beside yours, remember?" she asked him, grinning. "We're heading the same way, care if I walk with you?" Chuck tried to speak but it seemed as though he was struggling for words. "Oh, do you have a girlfriend and you're trying to think of a nice way to ask me not to?"

"No, no, no," he hurried out. "I was just…well, you took me by surprise, and you know." He pointed to his head. "Brains got a little scrambled yesterday."

"Did you have a concussion," she asked, concern in her voice.

"No," Chuck said, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Trust me, Ellie's a neuroscientist, she checked me out…good!"

"That's good," Sarah replied laughing, the two walking toward their respective buildings.

"You know, you were wrong," Chuck told her. She looked over at him, surprised. "Your car was much more roomier than you gave it credit for."

"Good," Sarah chirped. They walked in silence. It was a good silence, not awkward like she expected it to be. They walked past the alley and she saw him shiver. "Hey, you know that reaction is normal, right?"

"Yeah," Chuck said. "Seriously, thank you. I wasn't trying to do the macho thing yesterday, I just didn't want to get anyone else involved."

"Well, I didn't find it being involved as much as just helping someone, you know the way you do?" Sarah asked him. Chuck grinned and looked embarrassed. He glanced at her, started to ask her something and shook his head. "What?"

"Well, this may be me being presumptions," Chuck told her.

"Does this have something to do with those Space War-y things I hear you and your friend sometimes talking about?" Chuck gave her a confused look. "I open the window sometimes and your arguments carry into the apartment."

"I'm so sorry," Chuck said quickly.

"It's fine, I find them quite entertaining," Sarah said with a shrug. "Is this where you owe me a cookie life debt?"

Chuck burst out laughing. "Wookie, not cookie," he told her.

She began to laugh. "Well, not gonna lie, I thought someone was getting a cookie every day."

"That's not the worst life debt if I'm honest," Chuck admitted. "But, no, that's not what I was going to ask."

"Well, what is it?"

"Sarah…what time do I need to leave work today?"

She stopped and turned to him. "Chuck, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

He held up his hand stopping her. "Sarah," he looked around and lowered his voice. "I hope you don't think badly of me, because you seem really awesome and cool." He swallowed and continued. "I was very nervous getting off that bus." He licked his lips, and looked a little ashamed and dropped his head. "And with you beside me…well…after what you asked yesterday, I didn't feel nervous walking by the alley with you beside me."

She reached over took his hand and squeezed it. He lifted his head and held her gaze. "Good," she told him. "You got taken advantage of, Chuck, and yes, I know I came off a little…aggressive yesterday. But, I've seen a lot of people taken advantage of, and I have some training so…I got a little upset seeing you hurt."

"Thank you," Chuck told her.

"So, we have a choice," Sarah told him. "The easy way is for you to give me your phone," she began. Chuck quickly pulled it out and handed it to her making her laugh.

"I wasn't going to beat you up if you didn't," she told him, laughing.

He grinned at her. "Didn't want to chance it," he replied. "May I ask what you're doing?"

"You may," she said, and kept typing in his phone, grinning the whole time.

"Oh, well done," he said softly. She handed him his phone, a smile on her face.

"So, you have my number, and if you would text me when you leave work. I think you're safe to cross the street."

"I do look both way," Chuck told her.

"I wasn't trying to be condescending," she insisted as he began to laugh, she swatted him gently on the shoulder. "If I'm not here, please wait for me."

"Okay," Chuck told her. "What was the hard way?"

"Oh, we still haven't decided if this is the easy way or the hard way," Sarah told him.

"Oh, God," Chuck breathed, making her giggle. "Just tell me."

"The easy way is you ride with me to work and home every day. The hard way is I walk you to the bus," Sarah told him.

"This feels non-negotiable," Chuck pointed out.

"I mean, if you don't want me to walk beside you," Sarah said with a shrug.

"It's not that I mind it, but…"

"Chuck, listen, you're a nice guy. I want you to feel safe, and if me walking with you, and sharing a car ride makes you feel safe, then…why not?"

Chuck stood there a second. "I should pay you some gas money."

She sighed, and chuckled. "If you insist."

"A bodyguard fee?"

"Take me to lunch one a month," she countered.

"Dinner twice a month," he said, grinning. She smiled at him.

"At least," she said, with a smirk. She held out her hand, and he took hers in his. They both felt something between them. "I'll even let you pick the music."

"You won't be sorry," he told her.

"No," she replied, in a happy murmur. "I don't think I will be sorry."

A/N: This is the longest OTP I have ever written. I'm not sure it's an OTP but that's where it's going. Take care fam, see you soon.