A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. This still seems fairly popular.

Carina is normally presented as a super confident agent, able to achieve what she needs by fast thinking. So, I wondered how she'd react if completely out of her depth.

This chapter is the trip to go dancing in order to do something nice for Carina…

Caribbean Retreat

Chapter 12

Chuck had been expecting to go dancing the night before, and had been relieved when it didn't happen. He would go for Sarah, but it had never been something he enjoyed. Jill had dragged him out but he hadn't enjoyed it. He felt too ungainly. Hell, he was too ungainly! Jill used to ignore what he was doing and just go into her own zone, dancing next to him but not with him. He was effectively doing the same, but dancing was probably too kind a word for what he did.

Since Jill broke up with him, he'd not gone 'dancing' again. He probably would've gone as Bryce's wingman if he'd been asked. Bryce loved dancing at college, and always hooked up with a girl, but since his accident, dancing wasn't on his friend's agenda anymore.

So, when Sarah told Chuck they were definitely going dancing this time, he knew he'd be embarrassing himself in front of the woman he loved and her friend.

"I haven't been dancing for about three years!" Sarah said as the three of them walked toward the only nightclub in the town. "What's this place like?"

"I've only heard good things about it," he replied.

She stopped and turned to him. "Of course you've never been. I'm so sorry for forgetting your situation. What an awful girlfriend!"

He held her shoulders and said, "That's ok. You're excited about going dancing. I'm not expecting my past to be at the front of your mind all the time."

She stood on tiptoes to give him a peck on his lips. Just a peck, but he liked any kiss from her.

"Are you ok going there now?" she nervously asked.

He grinned. "Carina tells me your dancing will be worth it."

Sarah glared at her friend who'd been silently watching them. "Telling tales?"

"I also said he needed to stick close to you," the redhead replied. "Your moves draw men almost as much as mine do."

"This doesn't fit with the icy spy Bryce described you as," Chuck said to Sarah.

She shook her head. "I've always been driven, but the coldness crept in after my time with Carina."

"So, you were a guy-magnet?" he asked.

She blushed. "I didn't encourage it as much as Carina did, but, yeah."

"One-night stands?" he asked, feeling unreasonably disappointed.

She just nodded.

Carina spoke up, "Only when she'd had enough to drink." They both looked at her. She shrugged. "I don't want you getting the wrong idea about her, Chuckles."

"That was her past anyway," he replied.

"But her dancing is still a draw. even when she's sober," the redhead continued. "I draw men anyway, but when Blondie gets on the dance floor, she's something else."

Sarah clasped Chuck's hands. "I do go into my zone when I dance. So, please dance with me."

"My dancing was always pretty crap," he warned her. "It won't be any better after six years of abstinence."

She stood on tiptoes and kissed the tip of his nose. "Maybe I'll inspire you."

"You'll probably enjoy dancing just with Carina."

"If we do that, "Carina said, "We'd definitely enjoy it, but then you'd lose sight of us."

Chuck guessed what she meant and Sarah obviously was reading him and sadly nodded. "I'd rather you danced with me and I wouldn't have to fend men off."

That firmed up his evening for him. He was sure Sarah would regret it, but he'd try not to let her down.

As they walked to the club, Carina said, "Chuck, I would like to have a couple of dances with my friend, because we haven't for so long. It loosens us both up."

Chuck looked at his girlfriend, who said, "It would be good to get our vibe going."

"Your vibe?"

"Poor word choice," Carina said. "But it'd help me."

"Fine," he said. It gave him an excuse not to dance himself.

"But then you'll have to rescue her from men," Carina added.

Sarah glared at her friend before turning to Chuck. "You don't have to. I can take care of myself."

Chuck started to reply, but Carina cut in, "she's right. You should just watch for a while."

Her gleeful look was a bit irritating, but Sarah added, "It probably will reassure you that I can protect myself. You've not seen that side of me. I won't attack, just defend." He looked like he was going to object, so she added, "Easily."

"Then, sweep in and she'll show them that you're her man." The grin on Carina's face actually made Sarah grin too.

Chuck sat at the bar, sipping a beer, when a song came on that got the girls walking onto the dance floor. He stayed where he was and watched them.

It was like they were transformed from beautiful but demure young women into the most desirable, sexy women. The way they danced was electric. They weren't dancing to attract, just to enjoy the sensation. Both appeared to be in their own little bubble, oblivious to everything around them.

Chuck glanced around the room. They had been spotted by both men and women. Some of the latter dragged their men onto the dance floor themselves, wanting to enjoy the dance, others looked either disapprovingly or enviously due to the men staring at them.

As for the men, the ones in couples obviously admired the girls but made the right decision to stay with their partners. Single men paid more attention. Some of those drew their friends' attention to them, too.

No one approached them during the first song, so Chuck relaxed and drank more beer.

Half way through the second song, one of the men in a group of four, sauntered over toward Sarah. Chuck tensed, but didn't move. The man leaned close to her, saying something into her ear. She shook her head and said something back. He shrugged and walked away. Another of his friends tried, too, with equal lack of success. Chuck watched the four men. One of them argued briefly with the others and then walked to Sarah. He was beefier than the others, and probably 6' 5".

He didn't say anything, but grabbed her left butt cheek. Chuck found himself standing and ready to rush over, but what happened next stopped him.

Sarah grasped the wrist connected to that hand and swiftly spun him around. His hand was now grasping nothing, but up between his shoulder blades. Sarah leaned in and said something into his ear and pushed him away. He staggered back to his friends in obvious pain.

Sarah, meanwhile, just restarted dancing. Chuck was impressed with his girlfriend.

During all this, Carina had received attention, too. Chuck watched her for a few moments. She would evaluate the men that came to her. Chuck guessed that she was assessing them to decide which to dance with, and he was right. When the song finished, she beckoned one of her suitors back as the third song started.

Chuck realized that was his cue and walked quickly to his girlfriend.

Sarah appeared to have gone back into her dance zone, but clearly sensed his approach. She stopped and reached around his neck and laced her fingers into his hair. She pulled him in and kissed him hard. He opened his mouth as her lips touched his and the smoldering kiss left no one there with any doubts on who the lucky guy in the room was.

Then, she started dancing with him. His dancing was not smooth. He wondered if she thought that was just rustiness, but knew himself that he'd never been great. So, it was more like her dancing around him.

She was even sexier this close. That was no surprise to him, of course. She always was.

She then decided to grasp his hands and place them on her butt as she danced closer. He couldn't help but move with her and, after a couple of songs, they developed a rhythm together.

When they walked off the dance floor, after six songs, he didn't want to. However, Sarah dragged him back to the bar. "I need a drink,"" she said.

"God, you were so sexy out there," he gasped.

She raised a brow. "But not normally?"

He knew she was teasing him, and he should have had some smart reply, but just gushed. "So, so sexy all the time, but out there it just radiated off of you."

She gave him a peck on the lips. "I felt sexy when you were dancing with me, and you were, too."

He bought them beers and they carried the bottles to one of the tables with high stools. As they sat drinking, they both looked at each other. She grinned after a while. "I can read your thoughts, Chuck. I feel lucky, too. And so alive! Before meeting you, dancing was probably when I was happiest, but now I am most of the time. This is special, though. Dancing with you made me realize how much better it could be."

He blushed. "I think you're exaggerating, but thank you. I've never really enjoyed dancing. I did it here because you wanted it. As you saw, I was pretty crap until you drew me in."

"And then?"

"I enjoyed dancing, although some of your moves made me want to carry you out of here and find somewhere secluded."

She laughed. "And have your wicked way with me?"

"To pleasure you as you deserve," he replied.

She shivered. "I want that when we get back to our apartment!"

"What about Carina?" he asked.

Sarah pointed out to her friend on the dance floor, no longer dancing on her own. "I'll ask her between songs, but I think she may have found somewhere else to stay tonight."

"Does she always sleep with a man that quickly?" Chuck asked.

Sarah nodded. "Always. She does it for her missions and between them too because she's a sex-junkie."

"And she's your friend?"

She gave him a flat look. "You're friends with Bryce. Wasn't he the same?"

Chuck hadn't thought of Bryce in that way for so long. "Yeah, he was, but he's not like that now."

"Well, see Carina as a female version of how Bryce was before he left the CIA."

He knew the song that was playing. "Song's about to end."

Sarah rushed over to her friend and got there just as the music stopped. She talked briefly with Carina and then headed back as the next song started.

She had nearly reached Chuck when a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped in front of her.

Chuck stood, even though he knew she could take care of herself, and got closer. He couldn't hear what either of them said over the music, but saw the man put his hand on her shoulder. Chuck winced, guessing what would happen next.

The man was suddenly twisted around, doubled over and had his arm up his back. Sarah was gripping his wrist.

Two bouncers appeared and one said something to Sarah. She released the man and they led him away.

Chuck immediately wrapped his arms around Sarah's waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

When their lips parted, she chuckled and said, "Let's go."

As they walked home, Chuck asked Sarah what Carina had said to her.

"She hadn't found the one she'd be with yet, but was sure she would. Several men were watching her dancing with the current one."

He shook his head. "Was it always like this with her?"

She felt embarrassed, but didn't want to hide anything from him. "And me after a few drinks, back then," she admitted in the smallest voice possible.

He stopped and looked at her. "Always?"

"No, not always, but it did happen. I was immature for my age. I'd not… been with boys at school and my time at the Farm was… controlled. Mixing the atmosphere in those clubs with the alcohol broke down some of my inhibitions." She looked at him to see his reaction.

He actually chuckled. "Sarah, I'd not been with a girl until part way through college. I'm not judging."

She stood on tip toes and gave him a kiss.

"So, we probably won't see her until morning, huh?"

She shrugged. "If she doesn't find anyone, she'll come back, but she has my key and can let herself in."

"If she comes back, will she still have the challenges as before?" he asked.

"Probably."

They walked on in silence. Sarah was worried about her friend, but at the same time, hopeful.

The first Chuck knew about Carina's return was when he reached sleepily for the gorgeous blonde that was normally beside him in bed. She wasn't there. That woke him completely.

He pulled on some clothes and went to find her, but halted when he heard voices coming from the second bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar, but he didn't enter, just listened for a minute.

It was Carina and Sarah talking quietly, probably hoping not to wake him up.

He didn't think they'd want to be disturbed, so he went back to bed. He slipped his clothes off, apart from his boxers, lay down and pulled the sheet over him.

He then thought about Carina returning here. Sarah had told him how Carina was having difficulty sleeping, He could relate to that. He'd been like that for quite a lot of his life. For him, feeling secure had been the key, but he knew that wasn't the case for everyone.

Carina's expectation that sex would work for her was disturbing. That would never be Chuck's reason for sex, but Sarah's outline of Carina's life and role in the DEA made him realize how different the redhead was.

The fact that she was back here, and talking to Sarah, highlighted that Carina's plan to find a man to take to his bed, hadn't worked out.

Knowing he had the most gorgeous woman in the world as his girlfriend, and that their love life was so wonderful, made him happy beyond all expectations. However, he also knew that just sex wouldn't have been as good. They loved each other and made love to each other. It was a very different thing.

Carina just wanted the carnal experience and thought that would help her sleep. Maybe it would, for her, but not getting it must be stressing her out. Hence Sarah being with her, he guessed.

Chuck was still pondering all of this when the bedroom door opened. The fact that he just glanced over was proof that his fears were well and truly gone when he was here.

Sarah saw that he was awake and immediately assumed she woke him. "Sorry, Chuck. I went to see Carina when she returned."

He pulled the sheet back to let her in. "You didn't wake me by your movement, just your absence. It seems that I just have this need for you next to me."

She snuggled up to him once she was in bed. "Hmm. I need it, too." She gave him a peck on his lips.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Fed up that she didn't like any of the men enough," she replied. "She's getting choosier. In the past, any man would do."

He shuddered at the thought of that. To him, sex was such an intimate experience. He could only do that with someone he liked a lot.

She kissed his chin as she lay on his chest. "I can almost hear what you're thinking. Not all men are like you."

He didn't want to get into that. "Will she be able to sleep?"

Sarah sighed. "I hope so. She's had plenty to drink, so that may do the trick." She leaned up. "If I hear her cries, I'll shoot over there to her. Sorry."

He looked into those concerned blue eyes. Concern for him, as well as her friend. "You can leave the door open, if it helps."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," he replied. He really was. "Just having my protective Supergirl with me dispels all my fears. It just means we can't make loads of passionate cries, as that would be cruel."

She raised an eyebrow. "And you wanted those to happen?"

"Come on! With you in bed with me, how could I not?"

She moved up his body and gave him a tender, but lingering kiss. He just enjoyed the kiss and resisted his urges for more. When she settled down with her head against his shoulder, everything was perfect again and Chuck drifted back to sleep.

Sarah sensed, as she always did, when Chuck fell asleep. She couldn't as she was too concerned about her friend and felt she'd have to get up for her. She carefully lifted herself off of him and slid back to her side of the bed.

She crept out and opened the door as he'd suggested before climbing back into bed again. She faced away from him because that would simplify her exit if needed, but she missed the close contact just as much as Chuck did.

As she was now fully awake, her mind started working. When she was on missions, she had used this time to validate her plans and look for flaws. It had proved invaluable on a number of occasions, avoiding pitfall and saving her life.

Here, it wasn't about her, but her friend Carina.

In the past, she would only have worried about keeping people alive, but here she was concerned about more than that. Sure, Carina's lack of sleep would make her more likely to make mistakes, which could get her hurt, but Sarah was also concerned about her friend's overall state of mind.

Sarah thought that Carina was losing confidence in herself. It wasn't just the trauma from her recent experiences, but she was also now fearful of it happening again, that she wouldn't manage through things as she used to. That would just make the nightmares worse.

The problem was how to reset her back to her normal self. Obviously, facing something almost impossible in the way she used to and getting through it would make a big difference. Trouble was that without her overwhelming confidence in herself that she used to wear as armor, she could fail, potentially with fatal consequences.

Unfortunately, this wasn't something that Sarah had ever experienced. She'd always been confident in herself and her abilities, but also made sure she had considered every possible scenario and how she would overcome all odds. Sure, she'd been injured, sometimes nearly fatally, but she expected to die on the job, so that never undermined her confidence. Suggesting to Carina that she went to that level of planning wouldn't help. It might even shake her more because that wasn't in her. She reacted to the situation and adapted as she went.

Sarah wondered if Bryce could help Carina. He never used to plan like she did. He was more reactive than her. She'd try to talk to him in the morning.

Sarah didn't wake until she felt Chuck's hand slide around her waist and caress her. She purred her appreciation and positively hummed when his lips kissed her neck.

"Morning, beautiful," he breathed into her exposed ear.

"Hmmm," she murmured.

"I have to get up and shower before I head down to the kitchen.

"Ok," she murmured and started to drift back to sleep.

She didn't though, because Chuck said, "Sarah, there's a note pushed under the door for you."

She was instantly wide awake and leaped out of bed to take the note from him. She recognized Carina's writing before even opening the folded sheet and reading the contents.

Her shoulders slumped. "She's gone. She says it wasn't anything we'd done or even last night, she got a message calling her back to her assignment." Sarah had hoped for more time. "Shit!"

He pulled her into a comforting embrace. "Maybe she'll come again when the assignment is complete," he said into her hair.

She held tightly to him. "Maybe."

He separated them. "Sorry. I have to shower."

She nodded and watched him go, feeling sadness wash over her. She just wished she could've helped Carina more.

She knew she couldn't call or text her friend. That could blow Carina's cover. So, she had to wait for Carina to contact her.

She just hoped that Carina didn't make any mistakes in her sleep deprived state.

A/N: I don't like dancing, but my wife does. So, I know how Chuck feels here. Carina is more vulnerable in this story. Do you think any of the characters will appear exactly as they do in canon?

I'm still writing the next chapter, so please be patient.