AN1 Reviews for Chapters 18, and 19, are the lowest for the fiction to date. I won't stop this story because of a low review count—I like it too much, and I can't stay away from my master copy; I'm always writing in it. But with that being said, it's possible that updates may slow to the point of one chapter per month (or longer) without constant expressed feedback for the story. When reviews dry up, I question the content that I am writing, which impacts my confidence in my writing, and I start to second guess whether the content I release is good enough or not. All feedback, whether positive or constructive, is vital in a writing format such as fanfiction. For me, at least, I don't consider that to be a cliche in the slightest bit. I need feedback at a fixed rate which helps to let me know whether something is good or bad in the chapter. If it dwindles, then I naturally consider that as being negative in nature towards the story.

Who Dares Wins

Chapter Twenty: Rest & Relaxation: Finale

Friday, 2 November, 2007

"This is awkward,"

Sarah turned to glance at Chuck. Puffing out an anxious sigh, she nodded. "Mh-hmm."

"I've been awake for some time while attempting to reach a conclusion as to what I think about what happened between us last night and about how we've now woken together," he said, grimacing awkwardly at her.

Holding her glance towards him, she admitted, "Me too," as she swallowed air.

It was the morning after, amongst lots of other things, a night of intense sex between Chuck and Sarah. Sarah had been awake for at least fifteen minutes, and she had a million thoughts racing through her mind. She knew she was naked under the duvet with him right now. She was also wondering if Chuck was too. He likely was, but that thought was one of those million things racing through her mind.

Sarah had never gotten intimate with a fellow teammate before. Furthermore, she had not previously had a sexual encounter with anybody in the whole army, regardless of if she had previously worked with them or not.

There was indisputably nothing in army regulations that prohibited two teammates of an equal rank from doing what she had done with Chuck last night. But that didn't mean that it was a professional thing for them to have done either, just because it was ok under technical regulations.

Sarah was very attracted in many forms to the guy she was now sharing a bed with. And from her recollections of everything that had happened the previous night, of which she could remember a lot, the two teammates and close friends had a great time together. But that was precisely the problem in itself. Sarah may have willingly given in to her temptations last night. But she was still not sure if two teammates that were part of the most elite fighting force in the entire world should be doing together what they had both done throughout the evening. Sarah certainly had multiple reservations about putting herself into such a scenario going into yesterday, and those reservations had not suddenly cleared up for her this morning after the act in question had now become a reality for them both. Instead, those reservations were now back in the forefront of her mind once more, and they were unquestionably much more intense as she attempted to draw a conclusion as to whether they should have slept together or not and as to where they went from here...

The teammates and close friends paused for a long moment in silence as they held their gaze towards each other.

"So, how do we go about dealing with the aftermath of what we did, then?" he asked eventually, holding his glance.

Sarah gulped another breath of air in contemplation of his question and her response to him. "I don't know," she said, pausing to puff out an anxious sigh, with countless thoughts still racing through her mind. "This is all new territory for me. I need some time to process how I feel about it."

He nodded as his lips creased into a forced smile in an attempt to ease his own anxious thoughts. "Me too. But I don't regret what we did. I have some concerns about keeping a professional relationship with you after having now shared a bed with you. But there's nothing against regulations that we did together last night."

Sarah nodded. "Chuck, there is nothing against what we did. We haven't broken any rules. And I don't regret it either. But I'm concerned about bringing this to work and what people might think about what we did. I don't want to, and I can't lose the respect of the guys on base," she paused, puffing out a much stronger sigh. "I've worked too hard for my entire five years in the army to gain respect and to be treated as equally as my male counterparts. I don't think I could deal with losing it because of what we have now done."

He replied instantly, "Sarah, it's nobodies business what we do together off duty. My stance has not changed on that since last night. I still feel the same about that now."

Sarah nodded. "It shouldn't be anybody's business, I agree. But Chuck, you know as well as I do that it's not as simple as that. If any of them were to find out about us, you know full well what their reactions would be about this. Please don't insult me by trying to say otherwise or try to brush it off as though it will be nothing because it won't be."

Chuck drew out a sigh of his own. "Sarah, there will be laughs and jokes about it if they find out, but they will quickly move on. Jamie got grief for weeks over what Blue Team did to him when they set him up with a regimental groupie. Banter is just part of the job in the military," he said, throwing his hands out in resignation to support his point. "If they find out about us, then they will have their fun, and they'll soon move on. Suppose they judge you just because we've had sex or anything else that may progress between us in the future. In that case, they're short-sighted 'cause the only thing they should be judging you by is your standards and ability as a soldier, which is as good as anyone on the base, and don't ever let anyone think or tell you otherwise. The missions you've already been on and the things you've already done in the Regiment is testament to that."

There was a brief pause, and Sarah broke her gaze from him briefly in deep contemplation. "Chuck, I'm not so sure," she said, returning her gaze to him. "I'm not one of the guys, and I never will be treated like that. They will hold me to different standards than you."

"Sarah, if they do that, then they're assholes and not worth a second thought. You shouldn't care what those kinds of people think about you because they're not worth your time anyway. If that was to happen, you have my word that I would support you through it, as would all of your teammates, and that's all that should matter," he said, grinning in an attempt at reassurance. But he continued on when noticing that Sarah remained unsettled, "They might not be here right now, but I don't need them to be in this room with us to know that they will back you up all the way and that they wouldn't think badly of us for this. If they did, then they would have pulled us last night. I'm also not the kind of guy to have gotten what I wanted and then piss off to leave you to deal with the consequences after."

Sarah smiled at him for the first time since they woke. "Chuck, I know that. I know that you would have my side. I just need some time to come to my own conclusions about how I feel about this."

Chuck nodded. "That's fine by me. Take as much time and space from me as you want."

Sarah puffed out an immediate sigh, and she became slightly agitated by his chosen words. "Chuck, I don't need nor do I want space from you. I just want to go back to my own apartment, to be in my own company, and to process by myself how I feel about what we did together."

Chuck nodded again. "That's fair. I've just come out of a relationship where I had a leash around my neck, so the last thing I want to do is to place one around yours," he joked, grinning, as he tried his best not to laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Sarah snorted before she quickly erupted with laughter, which Chuck finally joined once she took his joke the way he intended her to take it.

"So, who's dressing and making themselves decent first then?" he asked.

"Uh, you can. I'll get dressed after you've left the room," she declared.

Chuck nodded. "You should probably shut your eyes then. I'm sure you've seen many commandos, with you being an army girl and all, but I'm not sure if you want to see this kind of commando right now," he joked, chuckling.

Sarah snorted multiple times before ultimately submitting to intense laughter, and a fully developed smile shone through her features as she gazed at him from where they lay. "Yeah, that probably wouldn't help right now," she said once her laughter finally subsided.

O-x-O-x-O-x-O

Sarah entered a local pharmacy just after 11am. The drugstore was situated in the centre of Hereford, just a few minutes walking from her new apartment. She had come straight here after leaving Chuck's house twenty minutes ago.

Closing the door to the pharmacy after her, she proceeded to the front of the shop, where she queued up in wait.

The reason she was here was because of her activities with Chuck. Whilst changing into her clothes after Chuck had departed the bedroom a short while ago, Sarah had encountered used and discarded condoms on the bedroom floor situated close to a spent bottle of Grey Goose Vodka. However, due to not being able to recollect the events of the whole evening in their entirety, Sarah was not sure whether protection had been used for the entire duration of the events they had partaken in. Because of this, she could not take the chance, so here she was waiting to purchase an emergency contraceptive.

Chuck had invited Sarah to stay with him for breakfast, but Sarah knew that the pill was best taken as soon as possible after sexual intercourse because she had taken it previously, so she had declined his offer. She needed to be alone right now anyway, to process how she felt about her events with him.

One thing was for sure, he wouldn't be leaving her mind anytime soon. During the short walk to the pharmacy, she could not stop thinking about him. She could still feel him as if he was over her, inside of her.

Sarah has had sex multiple times before. Most of those intimate encounters for her were pure passion induced, letting her hair down, one night stands with people she knew almost nothing about. But Chuck was different. And that was an understatement of the highest order.

Firstly, Sarah had known Chuck for almost a month. During that time, they had spent many hours in each others company. Second, and as a direct follow on from the first, virtually every moment she had spent in his company, she had enjoyed. Finally, and in addition to the first reasons Sarah knew without any doubt that Chuck was different, was because simply, Chuck Bartowski was the most amazing guy she had ever met in her life.

The connection they had together was the most intense she had ever felt towards another person in an intimate context. Chuck had made her laugh, smile. He had helped her to settle into the Regiment on her first days. He had helped her to come to terms with events that had unfolded. He had given her a listening ear for her to vent, and in the process, he had also detailed his own experiences in the Regiment, that he struggled to cope initially, just like her. On almost every occasion she had been with him, he had gone out of his way to make her feel more at ease with herself and to settle in.

And then came the sex. Sarah had never had sex with anybody before as she had with Chuck just hours ago. They were locked in a trance-like state with each other from the moment they entered Jim's pub until the moment they passed out together naked and spent after their activities that had made them lovers the moment Chuck entered her.

Chuck Bartowski completed Sarah more than any other man ever had. Sarah knew that which is why she couldn't get him out of her mind. The pleasure he had given her, she wanted more. Boy, did she want more! But they were teammates, and she didn't know how to process or deal with that simple fact of the situation she now found herself in. She was not sure if they could even back down any more from what they had done together because it was too late for regrets.

Sarah knew that she was now compromised towards Chuck. She knew that she wanted him to make her laugh again. She knew that she had only just left his home, and yet she was already yearning to be back in bed with him, to have him screwing her brains out and forgetting everything that was wrong with the world as she succumbed to her pleasure.

However, despite her dangerous level of attraction towards him, she was sure that she didn't want a committed and publicly open exclusive relationship right now, never mind a child! On the topic of a child, she had never been more certain about that, as she had only just been accepted into the SAS, and the only thing in her mind concerning future life plans that she had, was for a successful career in the Regiment.

"Can I help you?"

Sarah was disturbed from being in a complete world of her own for the last few minutes. She raised her gaze to make eye contact with a brown-haired, young-adult female wearing a white tunic who stood behind the counter.

There was no longer anybody standing in front of Sarah, waiting to be served.

Snapping out of her wholly-consuming thoughts, Sarah nodded, and she said, "I'm here for emergency contraceptive."

The young female behind the counter nodded, and she sported Sarah a welcoming smile...

O-x-O-x-O-x-O

Staff Sergeant Chris MacDonald came to a state of consciousness with his head in his hands, and he was leaning into a firm place of rest. The Red Team leader had a headache from hell. Taking a minute to start his brain, the Staff Sergeant raised himself from his position of rest, and he took in his surroundings.

The Staff Sergeant was still in Jim's pub, where he had crashed out however many hours ago with five of his comrades and the landlord.

Glancing around the pub—with his eyes squinting, because the blinding daylight shone through the windows all around the premises—he soon connected his gaze onto all of his teammates and Jim.

The team and the landlord were still unconscious and in a state of slumber.

With his immediate actions completed, the veteran soldier shifted his gaze onto his arm to ascertain the time.

Shaking his head at the discovery that it was 13:05—because his wife would undoubtedly kill him in just a short while when he returned home in his present condition, and half of the day had already gone—the rugged team leader rose to stand.

He took a moment in pause now on his feet because his balance felt shaky, undoubtedly due to how much alcohol he had consumed with his team throughout the evening and well into the morning.

Having taken a moment and now feeling confident enough on his feet to move at least a few steps, he stepped into a central part of the pub as a smirk crept through his lips over what he was about to do.

Taking a moment in preparation, he wet his lips to ensure he was in a position to talk. With his actions complete, he prepared himself for a brief moment before he bellowed out at the top of his lungs, "HEADS UP!"

The team leader's actions instantly had their desired effects.

Glancing all around the pub, the Staff Sergeant observed as his deafening alert caused Bryce and Jamie to sharply bang their heads onto the table they were placed around. They instantly moved to connect their hands onto their heads, now in agony from the nasty bump they had each received.

Meanwhile, John Murray had shot up from his seat, and he had darted himself around to face the team leader.

While Big Dan had a hand on his head at the bar, and he was glancing with distaste towards the Staff Sergeant. And Cole, also at the bar, fell backwards off his stool, and he landed on the deck of the pub.

Chris instantly started to snort in an attempt to fight off his laughter multiple times on seeing Cole land on his back in the car crash way that he had.

"Ya wee bastard!" John Murray promptly shouted with venom in complaint towards the Staff Sergeant as the Scot pointed at his team leader in contempt.

"Amen, fella! A fucking men!" Big Dan quickly agreed with his teammate shaking his fist in frustration, while also pointing at Chris in contempt of his actions, and he continued a belittling stare towards his team leader.

"Right then, lads!" Chris started, with his tone still loud enough to cause many immediate groans from Jim and the team. "Seven full-black coffees for us piss-heads, and then we'll be on our way and leave Jim to clear up the mess!"

"I need some fucking paracetamol right now, Jimbo, fella," Big Dan complained, still holding his head in his hand due to the massive tension headache that was boiling within him.

"You and me both, mate," Jamie Hughes also complained, shaking his head as he winced at his own pulsating aching that was traversing throughout his temple...

O-x-O-x-O-x-O

Chuck dialled his sister's phone number from where he stood idle in his kitchen.

Ellie answered after a few rings.

"Hi Ellie, it's Chuck," he said, grinning as though she was in his home with him.

"Chuck!" Ellie instantly replied. He could detect the excitement to hear from him in his sister's tone.

"How you doing, sis?"

"I was doing good, Chuck, but now I'm great after hearing your voice. It's been a while," Ellie declared.

Chuck couldn't help but nod. "Yeah, it has. I'm sorry about that. I've been busy with work, but I've been meaning to check in on you for some time because I miss you."

"I miss you too, Chuck. How are you?"

"I'm good, El, really, I feel great."

"And are you safe and well, and your friends, Chuck?" Ellie continued the conversation.

"Safe and well, but busy," Chuck admitted.

"I can imagine. Nobody can believe what's happened lately. The country is in shock, Chuck. I can't imagine what it's been like for you, having to confront head-on the problems that have been all over the news of late," Ellie declared.

Detecting the concern in his sister's voice, Chuck reassured, "Ellie, don't worry about me. I'll be ok. We're very good at what we do. It's our job. It's no different to your kind of work, really. It's just a little more dangerous."

"Chuck, it's my job to worry about you. I'm your big sister, remember?" Ellie retorted.

Chuck suppressed laughter. "How could I ever forget that?" he declared lovingly.

Ellie laughed sweetly. "It's so good to hear from you, Chuck. Aside from your work, what have you been up to since we last spoke?"

"Me and Jill broke up," Chuck admitted.

There was a brief pause in the conversation between the siblings.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Chuck. But I never liked her," Ellie admitted.

"I know," he agreed with her admissions.

"Are you coping ok with it?" she asked.

"Yeah, El, I'm fine. I told her to pack her bags, actually. It was for the best," he declared before changing the topic, "But how about yourself? Have you been busy?"

"I'm always busy, Chuck," Ellie replied, and she proceeded to emit a muted chuckle.

Chuck laughed along with his sister. "I can imagine. And I can only assume that it will continue to worsen with cut after cut to your sector. I'm surprised the NHS hasn't capitulated already," he stated.

"Chuck, we can't worry about that. We just have to get on with the job in hand and save lives," Ellie said.

Chuck nodded at his sister's words. "That sounds exactly the same as my profession too."

"I don't doubt it, Chuck," Ellie said in agreement. "Actually, I'm so glad you called. I have some time off at the moment. If you're not busy right now, then I'd love to come down to see you for a few days."

Chuck contemplated his sister's proposal briefly before a grin lit up his features. "Well, I can't promise that I won't suddenly become busy at the blink of an eye, as you know, but right now I'm not busy, and I would love that, El," he admitted.

"Great, Chuck. I can't wait to see you!" Ellie stated, and Chuck could detect the affection and joy in his sister's tone. He felt the same.

"The feeling is mutual, sis..."

O-x-O-x-O-x-O

Sarah moved to collect a glass of wine placed on her bathroom floor. Taking the drink into her hand, she sunk herself back into the warm, soapy water that she was attempting to relax in as she spent the evening alone.

Taking a sip of the wine, she proceeded to puff out an immediate sigh.

Sarah used to enjoy relaxing and unwinding in her own company. But right now, her thoughts were distracted and consumed as she thought about nothing but Chuck. She had left his home just over seven hours ago, and throughout the whole day, nothing Sarah had attempted to do to take her mind off and to distract herself from the thoughts she was having about her teammate had succeeded.

Sarah was almost at the point of scratching her hair out over her constant thoughts about him, which is why she had taken a bath.

Shaking her head, Sarah moved to rest the wine glass onto a corner of the bath, and she ran her hands down her cheeks in deep contemplation.

Raising herself from the tub a short moment later, she gathered her mobile phone, and she placed it into the palm of her hand. The device had been placed close to the former spot of the glass of wine.

Gazing at the device now in her hand, she paused for a brief moment, still locked in wholly-consuming thoughts, before she started to jab away at the phone a few times in succession.

Hovering her thumb over the screen, she gazed intently at the call button placed next to Chuck's name as she sighed for a long moment in indecisiveness, before she threw the device back onto the floor of the bathroom.

Continuing to sigh, she promptly returned to lay back in the tub before she proceeded to fully submerge herself under the soapy water…

O-x-O-x-O-x-O

Chuck disconnected the call with his sister. They had spoken for almost thirty minutes. He was very much looking forward to spending some much needed time with his sister over the coming days because the Bartowski siblings had not seen each other for many months. Due to the hectic responsibilities of Chuck's career, there was little opportunity for him to travel to visit her. Likewise, because of the equally hectic schedule of Ellie's job as a leading physician in the North-West of England, she did not have much opportunity to visit him either.

Grinning over the great conversation with his sister, Chuck took a moment in contemplation about what he would do for the rest of the evening before his thoughts quickly rested and became consumed on Sarah.

I wonder how she is doing? Should I call her and see if she wants to do something?

Chuck paused idle as he considered his thoughts.

Nope, I'd better not. Sarah told me she wants to be in her own company today. I'll ring or text her tomorrow. I wonder what Jamie is up to tonight. I'll change into my fitness wear, head out for a quick run, grab some food, and text and call some of the lads on the way!

A short while later

Chuck came to the end of his run at his destination, a huge Tesco superstore close to Sarah's apartment. Paying attention to his phone, which he had in the palm of his hand, he took out his earphones before composing two text messages in succession.

To his best friend Cole Barker, the first read: Alright, mate?

While the second, to Jamie Hughes, read: Alright, Jamie? Do you fancy doing anything tonight, mate?

With his text messages completed, he picked up a shopping basket before making his way around the store to pick up the items he wanted.

Jamie replied to him a few minutes later: Sorry, mate. I'll have to give you a rain-check on that. I have a hangover from hell, mate. Another time, yeah?

Chuck quirked his eyebrows at the declaration from one of his best friend's.

What's he been up to? He was sober last night, and he had to be 'cause he was the designated driver with Cole.

Deciding he wanted to uncover what his teammate had been up to, he paused from shopping to reply: Hey you, you bastard! What have you been up to, mate? 'cause you were sober when I left you!

Grinning as he hit send, he shook his head.

I have a sinking feeling that the lads told Sarah and me a pack of lies last night. They either went back to someone's or stayed behind at Jim's. I'm sure of it! I'll get to the bottom of it one way or another!

Continuing his warm glance to himself, he suppressed laughter occasionally, with his thoughts consumed by the undeclared activities of his teammates as he finished his shopping in the supermarket.

Departing the supermarket a short while later, he glanced at his phone. He'd not received a reply from Jamie since his last text to his teammate, who had gone silent on him.

Cole, meanwhile, hadn't replied to the initial text from Chuck.

Shaking his head once more, Chuck proceeded through his phone book before promptly hitting the call button over Cole's fiancee, Sophie, before he started walking back to his house.

Sophie answered a few seconds later. "Hello, Chuck," the bubbly and friendly English girl said.

"Hi, Sophie," Chuck said affectionately to a woman he admired almost to the same level as his sister. "I've been trying to text Cole, but he's not replying."

"That's because he's laid up on the sofa, with his head in his hands, Chuck!" Sophie complained.

Chuck frowned in shock at Sophie's complaints because his best friend was sober and had had just two pints the night before because, like Jamie, he was also the designated driver.

"Is he?" he queried, still frowning.

"I'm disappointed that you let him get into this state with you lot, Chuck, especially because you and he are off out on Sunday again!" Sophie continued to complain.

Chuck paused from walking. "Sophie, when I left him last night, he was as sober as a judge, I assure you of that!"

"Chuck, I know he's your best friend and that you would cover for him no matter what he did, but I don't deserve to be lied to. I love you as a brother!" Sophie continued to protest.

Chuck shook his head, now sighing at the actions of his best friend and of his team, who had now put him into a terrible position with somebody who meant as much to him as his team.

"Sophie, I know you won't believe me, and I wouldn't believe me either, but I swear to you that man was as sober as day when I left him last night! We went separate ways because Jamie dropped me off at my place with Sarah!" he protested.

There was a brief silence as Sophie evidently entered contemplation of Chuck's words.

"You had better not be lying to me, Chuck!" Sophie said.

"Sophie, I swear it! And I'll kill him and everyone else for putting me into this position! I had nothing to do with it, and if you're telling me that Cole has come home to you in a rotten state, it's the first I've heard of it!" he said, shaking his head while trying to fight off laughter at the same time over the actions of his best mate.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, Chuck. He came home just a few hours ago smelling of booze. I've never smelt him so bad nor seen him so bad!" Sophie declared, still protesting.

Chuck intensified his head-shaking. "I guess I now know why the bastard isn't texting me back," he declared, still doing his best to fight off laughter because he didn't want to offend his best friend's fiancée, who was rightly upset.

"You'll be lucky if he's even in a fit enough state to go out with you on Sunday, Chuck," Sophie said.

"Sophie, if he's that bad right now, as well as him not coming home to you last night, I would feel bad for us going out on Sunday anyway. I'm happy to cancel here and now," Chuck said sincerely.

"Chuck, I don't want that. He's your best friend, and you need to spend time with each other because you could lose each other so easily," Sophie said.

Chuck's humour faded. "Sophie, that won't happen," he said reassuringly.

"Chuck, you can't promise me that. So please don't. I knew and accepted who Cole was when I met him. Jill may not have with you, but I will never love him any less, nor try to get him out of the Regiment, or you."

"Sophie, I know you wouldn't do that to him, or to me. That's why you're one of a kind, and it's why he's lucky to have you, and if he ever said otherwise, I'd give him what for," Chuck said with conviction.

"Thank you, Chuck. That means a lot to me," she said.

Chuck grinned. "I should probably get going now, Sophie. I'll see you soon. Look after him until I can take over the duties again," Chuck laughed.

Sophie shared the laughter with him. "I will try, but I know that you do a better job of that than me. Bye," she said, as Chuck heard her blowing kisses through the phone to him, which she always did.

"Bye," he said, laughing before he disconnected the call.

With the call disconnected, he shook his head, laughing. His teammates, minus Sarah, had a lot of explaining to do...

End of Chapter

Next Chapter: Chuck and Sarah head out together, but they are disturbed. I wonder how? And why? Find out soon!

AN2 Leave a comment, please.