AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before we start, I want to address that there was a significant decrease in reviews for the last chapter. So I hope readers will continue to support the story with feedback. I love to hear from you guys.

MESSAGE FROM AUTHOR: To Geochili, thanks for your feedback. Your constructive criticism was helpful, and I appreciated the gentle manner in which you gave it. I sent you another PM in reply, but if you can't see it, the brief conclusion is that yes, Sarah is more mature, while Chuck is more one of the guys (understandable from eight years of military service). Nevertheless, he didn't tease Hannah or Jill. The reason he teases Sarah, of course, is that Sarah's his teammate, so the relationship dynamic is foreign to him. He's still adjusting to it. Sarah brings a level of maturity to their relationship that balances out Chuck's teasing nature. As we see in canon, Sarah's presence in his life is a catalyst for personal growth, honing him as a man. It will be no different here. However, in this chapter, you're gonna see the very best of Chuck Bartowski, and the story's character development :)

Regarding the showers, the SAS was caught off guard by Sarah's success in selection, and her shower requirements were an afterthought. They assumed a woman wouldn't pass selection for a long time and didn't bother making any adjustments to the showering facilities. I know this to be authentic because an ex-boyfriend of mine is a serving 22 SAS member, so I know A LOT about the Regiment. But concerning WDW, Sarah's unexpected success in the selection process left many people embarrassed and bewildered. Sarah believes that sharing the same showering facilities with the team has helped build a sense of equality and respect among them, and she wants to maintain that. Even if she were offered her own facility now, she wouldn't take it.

Who Dares Wins

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Intimacy

Hereford

Thursday, 29 November, 2007

Chuck and Sarah pulled their cars into the driveway of the converted Victorian-era eye hospital that housed Sarah's apartment.

Pulling their cars to a stop in parking spaces, they took a moment to take in the intricate architecture that mixed the old with the new.

It was a perfect example of how old and new could blend.

They'd done the same thing when they first toured the place together in what felt like years ago for both of them.

When they stepped out of their cars, the evening breeze was cool enough to make them shiver as they closed the doors, locked up, and moved to close the gap between them.

"It feels a blue moon ago since we were last here together," Sarah said.

Chuck nodded. "It does. And what promised to be a great night was ruined by those two idiots now in a jail cell."

"It's okay because we'll have a better one tonight," she said, her lips curling up mischievously, revealing a playful grin.

Chuck's grin was genuine, but it faded quickly as he let out a nervous laugh, knowing from the look in his girlfriend's eyes that tonight was gonna be a long one.

Sarah's eyes crinkled with amusement over her lover's nerves at her sexual forwardness. "Let's head out then."

Chuck nodded and flashed a grin as he took Sarah's hand.

They walked hand-in-hand out of her apartment complex and into the busy street.

Chuck looked at Sarah as they walked. "Do you think it will be ok to keep my car there for tonight?"

Sarah met his glance. "Just let anyone try to move your car because it's staying there all weekend," she said with immense conviction. "And besides, they've had a full month for their parking without my car there so both of ours there for a weekend will make up for that."

"Wow, don't I have any say?" he teased, suppressing laughter.

She shook her head. "No."

"I guess that's kidnapping added to your growing naughty list then," he said, grinning.

Sarah fought back amusement. "If you keep talking, it will be a gag as well as everything else you're getting tonight."

"Can it at least be with your panties like Bryce got from Carina and Amy?" he said, joy lighting up his face.

Sarah snorted to hold in an immediate outburst of laughter.

Once composed, she said, "Who says I'm wearing any?"

Chuck narrowed his eyes faster than thunder, instantly stopped walking, and snapped his head to look at his girlfriend.

She smirked at his actions.

"Can you prove it?" he asked, pointing at her.

Sarah nodded, fighting off laughter as she pulled his hand that she was holding towards her jeans. "Yeah, I can, but not without us getting arrested if I put your hand inside while we're on this busy street, as much as I want to do it," she said, biting her lip, his hand now resting against her jeans at her midriff.

Chuck narrowed his gaze further, his eyes now resembling tiny slits.

"So unless you want to go to jail, you'll have to take my word for it," she whispered, staring into his eyes.

A sly grin appeared on Chuck's face. "It's almost worth going to jail for, but that would stop us from doing everything tonight. So I guess I'll have to take your word for it and anyway, I can tell by the look in your eye that you're not joking."

Sarah's laugh was like honey, sweet and enticing.

"My girlfriend is the most amazing temptress," Chuck said incredulously, gazing smittenly into her eyes.

Sarah smiled. "Well, my boyfriend is a charming and passionate guy."

"That's the first time you called me your boyfriend," he said with a grin.

She smiled back. "I know. But that's the first time you called me your girlfriend..."

"How was it?" he asked as the lovers remained paused.

Sarah took a moment to think. "It was nice…"

They shared a loving gaze.

With their conversation concluded, the lovers walked towards Hereford city centre, their hands tightly clasped, feeling the cool—but relaxing—breeze on their faces.

Ten minutes later

Chuck and Sarah stopped walking at the Old Market quarter in Hereford, outside a Nando's restaurant, taking in the delicious aroma of grilled chicken.

"Here we are," Chuck said, grinning.

Sarah matched Chuck's joy. "Our second date is at Nando's?"

"Don't knock it until you try it!" he cautioned softly, pointing at her.

Sarah forced a smile, but it was clear she was apologetic. "I was just joking."

"Well, I wasn't," he said, grinning. "And besides, it's the least likely place Cole and Sophie will be tonight, even though they love Nandos, too. But I suspect Cole will take Sophie to a steakhouse less than a minute from here tonight, which is the most romantic and best place for lovers in Hereford."

Sarah nodded at her lover's explanation, looking into his soft, inviting eyes.

"I wish I could take you there too tonight because you deserve it," he said, his tone gentle and loving, forcing a smile, which wasn't one of his best ones. "But until we go official with the team, I have to hide the most romantic places until we don't have to hide what we have with each other."

Sarah swallowed air, her gaze breaking with Chuck.

It took a long moment for her to look back at him.

"Do you think we should become official with the team?" she asked, once she could look back at him again, gazing into his eyes in search of an answer through their eye contact and his reply.

Chuck became lost in thought for a moment as their gaze broke.

Once he looked back at her, he nodded. "Yeah, I think we should. It would be a lot easier for us. They already know anyway because they aren't stupid. And while we're in denial about it, it's just ammunition for them to use against us. If we went official, told them we're dating, and they tried to tease us about it moving forward, we could simply then tell them to mind their own business and keep their mouths shut because what we do together doesn't concern them. I think that's much better than having to keep up our facade, which isn't fooling anyone."

Sarah's mind raced to process his words, which caused a prolonged silence between them to stretch out.

She soon felt uneasy, knowing she should say something, but she was at a loss in how to go about saying what she was thinking.

Once Chuck broke the silence, it was a welcome relief for both of them. "But I agreed to take it as slow as you want, at your pace, telling no one until you say so..."

"It's not that I don't want to…" she protested, her mind in conflict, unable to meet his eyes with her own because she felt guilty.

His smile was warm and reassuring. "I know. It's not easy for you. You've only been in the Regiment for two months and you're still adapting to life here. I just think we'd get a much easier time from our team if we just fess up and go official. But that's just my opinion. Yours is the final one per our agreement. I'm not trying to backtrack on that promise and besides, I've already been a douche once today, so I've no intention to be again."

Sarah remained silent again, lost in thought, her eyes unfocused and gazing distantly at the ground as she processed his words.

"Let's head inside so I can introduce you to the best-tasting chicken in existence," he said, breaking the silence again.

Sarah looked back at him and nodded, her mind still conflicted in thought.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"God, it's so delicious!" Sarah moaned, her taste buds ignited with a burst of flavour as she savoured her first bite of PERi-PERi lemon & herb 1/2 chicken.

Chuck grinned. "I think you owe me an apology for questioning why I brought you here for our second date."

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes sparkling as she met her lover's gaze across the table they sat.

Chuck held his grin for a moment, then took a mouthful of his food, moaning softly at the sublime taste of the perfectly seasoned chicken. "It sure beats those ration packs we've had lately…"

Sarah snorted. "Yeah, and cold burgers."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Yeah, those too..."

As Chuck's words trailed off, so did their conversation for a few minutes, their glances thick with unspoken words, a testament to the unresolved issue they'd left hanging before they entered the restaurant.

They both knew that compared to their first date in Manchester, this one was nothing like it.

For their whole time in Manchester, pretty much from the moment they arrived, until the moment they separated the morning after their overwhelmingly successful first date, they'd locked themselves in a trance-like state.

Tonight, however, their glances were awkward, and conversation was minimal.

And the truth was, neither lover could bear it all that much.

The memory of their time in Manchester lingered in their minds, wishing they could be as they were there again.

Here and now.

But they each seemed incapable of moving on from the elephant in the room. The awkwardness created by Sarah not giving Chuck any form of a conclusive answer as to whether they went official or continued as they were—in denial—had left a lasting impact.

Soon making another attempt to spark conversation, Chuck said, "Um, Sarah, about earlier with Dan…"

Sarah paused her food and met Chuck's glance. "Yeah?"

Chuck cleared his throat, hoping to muster up some courage, then said, "I know you're pissed off with Dan and John's constant bullshit they're subjecting you to. To be frank, I've had enough of it too."

Sarah drew out a long sigh. "I just want them to leave me alone… I never start anything with them."

Chuck nodded. "I know…and I want you to defend yourself, but I'm gonna caution you now that it's not the wisest of decisions to try to fight Dan physically."

"Why did you try to do it too, then?" she asked.

He smiled at her. "Because I'll always have your back. I don't want anybody to touch a single hair on your head."

Sarah took this as her cue to take hold of his hand, hoping to kick-start some intimacy between them. "Even if I get myself into such deep water, trying to fight Dan?" she asked, gazing into his eyes.

"You didn't start it," he said, holding her gaze as they played with each other's hand. "I'd just prefer to avoid that if possible. We have to be realists and accept that while yes, Dan's a Grade A arsehole when he wants to be, he's also blessed with being a physically intimidating monster. He also very much knows how to fight."

Sarah nodded, still playing with Chuck's hand. "He is, but your physique isn't too far off his. But I just want him to leave me alone and I'm not good at giving him some trash talk back," she said, sighing.

"I know," he said, nodding. "And that's why he's preying on you until you fire back. He did it with me when I joined, but I was already used to people like him from the Guards, so I gave him plentiful in return."

Sarah suppressed laughter, smiling at her lover. "I'm sure."

"If he doesn't leave you alone, and soon, I'll give him some back for you," he said.

Sarah broke their gaze in embarrassment. "I don't want you to fight my battles."

Chuck played with her hand. "That's what good boyfriends do."

Sarah looked back at him. "I'm not weak, Chuck. I can take on most people. I just think verbal confrontations are so immature and not worth my time."

"I'm not protecting you because you're weak," he said, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "I'm protecting you because of who you are to me…" he bore a smitten stare into her eyes, which she held. "I know for a fact you can kick the ass of most people. You could certainly kick my ass even if I fought back, which I wouldn't."

Their hands remained securely clasped as they shared soft, intimate laughter.

"I just don't think we should try to fight Dan because there's probably only gonna be one winner in that," Chuck said.

With a look of pure adoration, Sarah smiled, her eyes shining with happiness as she gazed at him. "We could take him together."

Chuck suppressed laughter, nodding. "You and I against the world. I fancy our chances at that."

"Me too," Sarah said, her gaze soon lowering to his lips.

With a renewed sense of closeness, the lovers leaned in for a kiss.

Sarah closed her eyes as their lips connected, her tongue teasing his lips until they parted, feeling the warmth of his breath against her skin.

They kissed hungrily, their mouths locked in a feverish embrace until they broke apart, panting for breath.

Blinking her eyes open, she stared into his, mere inches away.

Feeling a surge of affection, she smiled at him, her fingertips tracing the lines of his face.

He smiled back. "We should finish our food."

Sarah nodded, her breathing laboured and heavy as she basked in the lingering intimacy shared with her boyfriend.

She yearned for so much more of that and more tonight.

They broke away from each other, but their eyes remained locked in a silent exchange as they continued eating.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"So, how was it?"

Sarah placed her knife and fork onto her empty plate, the sound of her utensils scraping against the porcelain as she looked up to meet Chuck's glance. "I see why you, and Cole and Sophie like it."

"Like?" he asked, then shook his head, grinning. "We love it."

She smiled back. "Me too. I don't think I've ever tasted better chicken."

"I'll be expecting more trust from you on our future dates," he joked.

Sarah suppressed a laugh. "You'll have it."

"Do you want dessert?"

She shook her head, her stomach feeling like it was about to burst. "No. I'm full."

He nodded, muting laughter in understanding.

"Let's pay up and head back to mine, then... If you still want to?…" she asked, avoiding eye contact with him, afraid of being rejected.

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, doing a double-take as he became lost in thought. "Uh, why wouldn't I want to?" he soon asked, unable to siphon why she'd asked that.

Sarah's nerves threatened to overwhelm her, but she swallowed them down before speaking. "I'm pretty sure this date sucked…" she said, forcing a smile. "And I know it's my fault…"

"Sarah, not at all," he spoke with such sincerity that his words were coming straight from the heart.

She found it hard to look at him, believing she'd ruined the date. "It was nothing like Manchester."

"Maybe we're just tired?" he suggested, sporting a reassuring smile.

Sarah shook her head. "It's because I didn't give you an answer."

"Maybe I shouldn't have given you my full opinion," he said.

Sarah scoffed sharply, finally looking him in the eyes again. "Why not? It's the truth. We both know it and I don't know who I'm kidding trying to hide away from the issue because I'm too afraid to decide."

Chuck reached for her hand.

She felt guilty to receive his hand as it squeezed against hers.

"Please don't blame yourself for anything..." he said softly. "The food was delicious, the company even better. The decision you're faced with is hard, and we both know why. And as for your question, of course, I'm coming back with you. And we're gonna have an even more amazing night together."

"You're an amazing guy, Chuck," she said, brushing her thumb over his, still overcome with a moment of guilt and fear that her behaviour could cause him to feel a loss of interest in her. "I need you to know that…"

"And you're an amazing and stunningly beautiful girl," he reassured, squeezing her hand tighter. "Are you ready to leave?"

She nodded, her anxiety finally settling.

Because of him.

A short while later

Sarah stepped into her apartment, moving to turn on the lights and turn off the alarm.

She heard the click of the door as Chuck closed it behind them.

It was a perfect moment of synchronicity as they turned to face each other.

He smiled at her.

Sarah knew she wanted more than just a smile from him, so she stepped toward him, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips against his.

After a moment, she withdrew from him, her eyes fluttering open to look at him with a deep affection.

She softly traced her fingers along his cheek, whispering, "I'm sorry about the date."

He took her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze before leaning in to kiss her lips.

"Shhhh," he whispered into her mouth as their lips parted, his hands letting go of hers, moving to take hold of her waist.

She closed her eyes at her lover's touch.

"We're here, together. Everything is perfect," he whispered as he kissed her again. "So let's go make love."

The moment Sarah opened her eyes, she saw in his eyes how much he wanted her.

She felt the same, a shiver running down her spine as she took hold of his hand.

Sarah led him to her bedroom, her breath quickening—yet laboured—with each step as she felt the intensity of their intimacy.

The dimly lit bedroom provided a serene and romantic atmosphere as they stopped at the base of the bed, turning to face each other.

She grabbed his shirt with urgent force, crashing into him and she pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

He didn't waste any time responding to her advances, taking a firm hold of her as they made out.

They kissed fiercely, with Sarah's hands gripping his shirt as she fell back onto the bed.

Following her lead, they tumbled onto the bed, ending up with him on top of her, where she locked her legs around him.

They kissed deeply until their lungs screamed for air, then separated, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

He held his forehead against hers.

Their eyes locked.

Sarah struggled for breath as she looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Make love to me," she whispered, her tone full of want—just as pleading as her gaze.

He obliged to her pleas and lowered his hands.

She closed her eyes as his warm lips pressed against hers, a shiver of arousal running through her body at her lover's firm touch.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Chuck rolled to the side of Sarah, their bodies tangled in the sheets and slick with sweat as they panted and gasped for every breath of air from the passionate sex they'd just shared.

The date may have been lacklustre to Sarah, which she blamed herself for.

But the passion they felt during the sex was undeniable.

The chemistry they'd just had in bed was off the charts.

"That was the best sex we've had," Sarah said, her voice shaky as she spoke, the aftermath of their intense sexual activities evident. "It was amazing."

Chuck continued his panting, trying to restore normalcy to his airways. "You're amazing, beautiful."

She turned to nuzzle against him, burying her face in his chest, and trailed her fingers over his warm skin under the covers. "Once we've recovered, we'll make love again."

Chuck nervously laughed at her request for another round of sex, unsure if he had the energy to go through it again after an exhaustive month, but determined to find it, even if it meant him pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion and far beyond until she was fulfilled.

"I can't believe you actually weren't wearing any panties," he soon said incredulously.

Sarah suppressed muted laughter, still worn out from the breathtaking sex. "I had none left because of all the back-to-back ops and not being able to get back here for my clean stuff. So rather than wear anything dirty, I wore everything fresh that I had for tonight."

Chuck suppressed fond laughter at his girlfriend's explanation.

A minute passed as Sarah lay on Chuck's chest, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his breathing as they both basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

"I don't want to hide us, Chuck…" she said, breaking their silence, looking into his eyes from where she lay. "How we make each other feel…How you've made me feel today... It's not wrong…"

Chuck, detecting she wasn't finished speaking yet, wrapped his arms around her, moving to kiss her hair before he lay back again and waited for her to continue.

She drew in a deep breath and exhaled it against his chest, gaining to courage to speak further.

"I just don't think I can take any more grief and more harassment from men because I'm now sleeping with a teammate…"

Chuck detected the loss of spirits in her tone.

His lover was clearly in immense conflict with herself right now.

"I know, beautiful," he whispered words of comfort. "The British Army is no exception to the widespread misogyny and mistreatment of women in militaries worldwide. It's just as ridden with it as the worst of them… I've witnessed the same bullshit time and time again during my service in the army. It's a familiar situation, and the presence of it in 22 SAS doesn't shock me. I read an article a few months ago that over sixty-two percent of serving women in the British Army have suffered bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination at some point."

Sarah nodded. "And it's far from being a one-time occurrence for those of us who have. I've received it dozens of times, from very early on..."

Chuck took a tighter hold of her. "I'd be extremely protective of you regardless, but I guess in a way that's why I'm so protective of you because you've already had to face so much bullshit from men who feel you don't belong with them here and that you're just a toy for their pleasure. It's abhorrent and the worst thing of all is that I don't see it ending for a long time…"

Sarah drew another sigh, gazing into her lover's warm, dark eyes where they lay. "That's why I'm scared for us to go official. After the grief I got when Bryce told everyone on the base what we did together four weeks ago today…and then what that arsehole Kyle Rogerson and Blue Team did to me with the condoms…"

The reminder of that misogynistic prick Kyle Rogerson's actions towards Sarah caused Chuck to draw a frustrated sigh.

Sarah raised her hand to caress Chuck's cheek. "But as bad as the grief is, being with you makes all the bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination I've faced through the past five years better…."

Chuck gave her a loving glance as he gently ran his fingers through Sarah's soft, long hair. "I'll always be here for you and may god help anyone who tries that with you again because they will deal with the full force of me. I promise you that, Sarah."

Sarah tried to smile through the tears that were welling up in her eyes, but she failed miserably at the task.

The power of his words and the comfort he was offering to her in wanting to look after and care for her turned her very emotional.

And for the first time ever, she exposed her vulnerable state to somebody.

The sight of Sarah crying caused Chuck's eyes to gloss, a lump forming in his throat.

He shifted his body under the covers, angling towards her for a more intimate connection.

Now facing each other, Chuck pulled Sarah close, kissing away the salty tears that left her eyes.

They held deep eye contact as Chuck continued his actions until she stopped crying, tears leaving his eyes as she stroked his face in reply.

His heart swelled with emotions as they locked eyes, feeling the deepest of connections with her.

Chuck had never felt as strongly about anyone before as he felt towards her right now.

He realised at that moment—without any doubt—he'd found his soulmate.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whew, what an emotional end to the chapter! I hope you liked it. Read on next chapter, and let's see if we can overcome that obstacle of Charah not having to hide their relationship. Regarding the 62% of serving women in the British Army suffering bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination, the article is authentic and real. I knew of the widespread issue even before I first published this story, which is why I had Sarah's concerns about dating a teammate, knowing the grief she'd get for it.

FOOTNOTES: Because WDW is a niche fiction with a limited readership (it's my least viewed, followed, favorited, and reviewed per chapter story) where only a minority of Chuck readers enjoy this story, it's critical for those who do like it to stay loud and vocal about it with me. All I have to support and rely on in this fiction is you guys. I can understand those who don't review often. However, in a very limited audience fiction such as this, your feedback means all the more to me. It absolutely matters more! So I ask: please help me with that by leaving a brief review and I'll see you next chapter :)