A/N: Episode 1 continues on, the question for you dear reader, is this an American TV episode that goes 42 minutes, a Netflix/Hulu/whatever streaming service you use that could be anywhere from 39 to 98 minutes, or…am I just doing as I please?

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Now

As she felt her way working out of sleep, she snuggled close with the blankets. Her senses were enveloped by the smell of him. She curled up more into a ball, letting herself be enveloped by the light scent of him on his pillow. She opened her eyes and had to wonder… was this another dream, or was she here? She looked around his room that was undeniably him. He was so different than any man she had ever met in her life.

She knew many that called him a nerd, said he was a pushover, and other insults. But they didn't understand him. Chuck was comfortable in his own skin as himself. She envied him. She was jealous, if she was honest. He was who he was, and he liked himself. Sarah didn't know if she had ever met the real her. She was beginning to, since working with him, but she still hadn't really discovered herself.

She had found she enjoyed cooking. She always could, but she forgot how much she had loved it with her mother when she was a little girl. She enjoyed making food and seeing people smile over it. Her favorite was when she would make something, and have Ellie make a low hum, her knees bent a little, and a look of joy suffuse her. She couldn't understand it, until Ellie explained it to her.

"Think about it, Sarah. You've been doing stuff your whole life that you've been made to do, and your survival skill in that was finding something good in it." Sarah had never thought about that before. "I know you think you've done a lot of bad things, but Chuck has told me about how you told him of saving someone from collateral damage, and the pride with which you related that story. Of how you saved an innocent."

If Sarah were honest, she barely remembered telling Chuck that story. She had told it to him because she was explaining why sometimes plans must be completely scrapped.

"So now, you found something you enjoy, that pleases you. And you find out you're good at, and it pleases others. That's called being human, Sarah. And that's who you are; a human being with real feelings, that you've repressed the shit out of." That last line made Sarah burst into laughter. It was true, all of it. She had to repress so much, turn off so many of her emotions in the CIA. She hated downtime, because it gave her time to process what she had done, how awful she felt about having to take a life, ruin someone's career, or any of the myriad other nefarious things she had done.

A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She couldn't help but smile as she responded. "Chuck, it is your room."

The door opened to reveal Chuck standing there with a cup of coffee. She thought she might kiss him. She thought she might kiss him if he didn't have the coffee. God, why did she have to fall asleep here last night? "A little elixir of life, muh-lady?"

"God, yes," she breathed, far too much wantonness in her voice.

"It's just coffee," he told her, chuckling. "Sleep okay?"

"I did," she admitted, taking the coffee from him and sipping. Her eyelids fluttered at the taste, and what felt like instant life pumped through her veins. She knew why she let herself fall asleep here last night… she needed it. She needed to be in a safe environment where she could get rest. She also knew she would be pampered in the morning. Sarah Walker was a proud woman and needed no validation… but damn if Chuck Bartowski couldn't make her feel like a damn queen. "You know I haven't forgotten last night?"

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you slept here, and I slept there," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward the couch in the living room.

"I thought you were gonna sleep in the guest room?!"

"Well, I was…"

"The guest room closet made strange noises?" Sarah asked. Chuck turned away, and Sarah laughed. "Why do you watch those shows, if they frighten you?"

"They aren't scary," he insisted. "It's just maybe my mind got a little over imaginative last night," he added in a low voice.

"Okay, but next time, you can come in here with me and I'll protect you," she told him, a twinkle in her eye as she sipped coffee.

"I don't think you can Kung Fu a ghost, Sarah," Chuck deadpanned, making her laugh. God, it felt so good to laugh with him. And yet, the thought of going back to the CIA had felt safer.

"So, what did you want to ask me about last night?" she asked him, trying to get the conversation back to where she had originally aimed it.

"Oh," Chuck said. He went quiet.

"You wanted me to protect you from the ghosts last night, and you wanted me to protect you?" she asked, seriousness on her face.

"That's it," he said quickly.

She studied him a minute. "Look at this photograph," she sang softly.

"Fine, I wanted to know if you had thought about going back to the CIA," Chuck admitted. "And-and, I wanted to give you space, and you make the decision that was best for you, but also…" he shrugged. "I wanted you to stay."

She reached over and rubbed his shoulder. "Hey, you are one of the reasons I stay, Chuck. You are my friend, you are my partner. Yeah, being high up in the CIA… three and a half years ago, life goals. But now… knowing this life… does it still scare me? Yeah. But I have my friend to help me through it." She beamed at him. "My partner, in fact."

"Partner," he replied, nodding and smiling. She knew that smile. She nearly sang the Nickleback line again, when he stood quickly. "Well, partner, we need to get moving. I'm assuming you want to change clothes? Not that I'm judging you if you don't," he rushed out.

She laughed. "Yeah, I need to run home. See you soon?" Chuck nodded. She got out of the bed and walked over to him, her eyes holding his. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he replied. She didn't believe him, but at the same time, she wasn't sure right now was the time to get into it. "I will make you a cup of coffee as soon as you get there."

"That's not part of your job," Sarah told him, giving him a hug. She shimmied into her pants. Chuck fled, making her laugh.

"Kinda is," he sang out. She chuckled. Yeah, he always had, so maybe it was.

}o{

Then

She looked up from the coffee maker, ready to cuss. Who in the hell was there knocking at the door at 7:45 when the agency didn't even open until 8:00? She strode across the office, her heels clacking on the hardwood floor, reaching for the door to tell whoever it was they weren't open yet. Opening the door, and before she could say a thing, she was surprised to find Chuck coming through the door, looking...irritated. After yesterday, she didn't think anyone could irritate him. Apparently, she was wrong.

"Is this all a joke to him?" Chuck muttered, spinning around. She had never seen someone look so frustrated, yet trying to control it all at once. "Is that all my life is, a joke to Bryce Larkin?"

"I'm sorry?" Sarah asked.

"Look, you seem like a lovely person, and I'm sure you're great, but please… he's ruined my life enough." Sarah saw pain in his expression she had never seen on a human's face. She had seen people put through torture, and she had seen people cry out in pain, but the emotional pain he was holding back…

"I-" she tried to begin.

"Listen, don't even try. He knows that I can do research on people, and the fact you barely exist, and the fact you don't exist in the CIA…" Chuck trailed off giving her a look.

"I don't exist in the CIA?" she asked, shocked.

"You know you don't," he told her. Her eyes went wide. She had killed men in the past that had talked down to her, but this wasn't someone talking down… this was someone that was… sure. How could anyone be that sure? Oh… Piranha. "I'm sorry, that was harsh," he began to apologize, running his hand through his hair. Frustration radiated from his body. "I'm sure he thinks this is funny, but because of him… I don't have my degree. I work in a Buy More, Sarah… a Buy More!"

Sarah stood there, taking it all in.

"And-and, I don't think I'm better than anyone that works there, but I had dreams… I had goals… and he and Jill… God. I was going to be a computer engineer. I was going to change the world. And now I have no degree, expelled from Stanford. Do you know how hard it is for to get into another school when you're expelled from Stanford? There's still a few more years before I can even appeal to get back in, and then do I even want to go back? At twenty-six?"

"Chuck, I swear to God, I do not know this Bryce Larkin guy. And if I did…" She trailed off. She was about to say she'd kill him, and damn it, she wanted to… and she had no idea why. Why was someone she had met less than twenty-four hours ago affecting her so much? "I had no idea the CIA erased me. I didn't. The problem now becomes, how can you talk to my superiors… former superiors, if you don't believe I was a member of the CIA?"

Chuck stood there with no answer. "I don't know, Sarah," he admitted. "God, I want to believe you, I do. But… do you know how much it hurts? Do you know how much it all dredged up last night, thinking about Stanford?"

"I'm sorry, I never meant to," Sarah began.

"No, I'm sorry," Chuck told her. "I want this to be real. I do, but… you must understand, after what I've been through, the thought that you… someone like you… with your Harvard degree-"

"I thought you said my CIA records were pulled?" Sarah blurted out.

"They were," Chuck admitted. "But your digital footprint is still found other places, like Harvard."

"So, you're saying that I did have a CIA record?" she asked, not knowing why she was taking this moment to tease him.

He narrowed his eyes at her, but couldn't help his grin. "You're good. I see what you did there." She laughed, and started to speak, when the door flung open.

"Happy new job!" a tall red-headed woman said, walking into the office. She was followed by a big burly man, carrying some kind of plant. If Chuck had to describe him, he'd say the man looked like his chin was made of granite. "Is it okay if Johnny puts the plant in that corner?" the woman asked, pointing towards the far corner. "What's wrong, Blondie?" she said, finally looking at Sarah.

"Hey, Catrina, hey, Casey," Sarah said, giving Carina a hug. She pulled back. "You didn't have to do this."

"Walker," Casey said with a nod. He turned to Carina. "Can you please not call me Johnny around civilians?"

"We're both civilians now," Carina reminded him. Casey grunted and carried the plant over to where Carina had pointed. "This whole domestic thing is weird," she said to Sarah, sotto voce.

"I never thought I'd see the day where you'd leave the DEA for civilian life," Sarah admitted. Her eyes widened, and she snapped her fingers. "Chuck, could you see Carina's file, and John's?"

"What's going on?" Casey asked, walking over, giving Chuck a suspicious look.

"So long story short, Chuck was screwed by a CIA agent named Larkin," Sarah began.

"I've heard the name," Casey said, nodding. "Pretty boy, thinks highly of himself."

"Well, he got cooked, with Graham out," Sarah told Casey. "Anyway, both Beckman and Gale recommended for Chuck to work with me. The problem is he was trying to verify who I was. Understandable, given what has happened to him with the CIA, but they've erased me."

"Holy shit," Casey breathed. "So he has no way of knowing that you're telling the truth."

"Except you two could verify me," Sarah told Casey.

"How's he gonna do that?" Casey asked. Sarah clamped her mouth shut, realizing what she had done. Casey gave Chuck a look. "So he's a geek that can hack, and Beckman said to use him?"

"The term nerd is preferred," Chuck told Casey, trying to straighten up and appear bigger. His attempt was fruitless.

"Don't get your shorts twisted," Casey muttered. He turned back to Carina and Sarah. "Gotta be a white hat, or Beckman would never sign off on it. He's too old to be Orion, so he must be Piranha."

"How the hell?" Chuck muttered.

"I am former NSA," Casey told him. "Keeping tabs on you hackers is something we do." Chuck looked at Sarah, who shrugged. "Okay, if you're as good as I think you are, get into Miller's file, and see if there is any mention of Walker."

"Well, I'd need a computer," Chuck began.

"I have one, but… it's not set up yet," Sarah admitted. Chuck gave her a look. "What?"

"So this whole thing has been a grift, to get me to do your install for free?" Chuck asked with a grin. Sarah pressed her lips into a thin line, as she turned and walked into her office. "Hey, I was-"

"Just come in here, and I'll show you where everything is," she said crisply. Chuck turned to Casey and Carina, who both shrugged. Walking in, he started to speak, but she put a finger to her lips, and he went quiet. He walked around her desk and looked at the computer. "You've told me a lot about your past," she said in a low tone. "If you agree to come on, I need to tell you something about mine. But there's something you need to know right now. I have never, nor will I ever, grift you."

"I wasn't trying to-" Chuck began trying to apologize.

"It's no big deal, you… it's fine," Sarah assured him. "Now, please, see if you can find Carina's DEA record so you can verify this is legit."

Chuck straightened up and looked at her. "You really want me to take this, don't you?"

She stood there for a second. "I do," Sarah told him. "I told you yesterday that you have compassion, you have an eye for detail… and what I didn't tell you is that you seem like a good person, Chuck." Sarah stood there a second gathering herself, then continued. "I am former CIA. I did a lot of wetwork. I did a lot of things… what I'm trying to say is, if I do this, this will be new. Being with regular people is new. If I do this, I need help. And you seem like the kind of person that can help."

Chuck stood there a moment. "Okay, I believe you," Chuck told her. Sarah started to protest. "No, I don't believe anyone could say all those things and not mean them. And-and if you did, then that's on me." She shook her head. "I'm in."

"No, verify," she said softly. "You need to know. You need not to have questions."

"And if what you told me is true, you need someone to believe in you, to trust you," Chuck countered. She smiled at him. "What?"

"I do," she said softly. "I have you, but I need you to tell me what is in Carina's file about me. I need to know if I'm anywhere in those federal files."

"Okay," Chuck told her. "Anywhere in particular I should look?"

Sarah grinned. "Yeah, they called us the CAT Squad." Chuck gave her a confused look as she giggled at him. Sarah left him alone in her office to set up her computer and find what, if any, info still existed about her.

Parts of her life had been erased digitally. Parts of her life had been sanitized digitally for her own good, and for the benefit of the CIA. But that didn't change what she had done. The emotions she was still carrying from those missions.

"You okay, Blondie?" Carina asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," Sarah said, nodding. "It's just… different, you know?"

"Nope, no idea," Carina deadpanned, making Sarah laugh. "I went from you in the CAT Squad, to someone turning on us, to you out of the CIA, to me not trusting the government so much that I left. And decided to see if I could make things work with John."

"Why do you call him Johnny?" Sarah asked, grinning.

"Because deep down… and I mean deep down, he loves it," Carina said with a shrug. "I like him, Sar… I like him a lot. In fact… I may really like him." Sarah chuckled. "That's the best I can do right now."

"And what about him? How does he feel?"

Carina looked over at Casey. "I think he feels the same way, but him admitting it…" Carina shrugged. "Plus, his new liaison gig…"

"So, how's being a reporter?" Sarah asked.

"You know, it's very much like being a spy," Carina admitted. "You look into things, something doesn't make sense, and you dig even more. I am really enjoying it. I mean less bullets."

"That is good," Sarah reminded her.

Carina winced as she shrugged. "Something about getting shot at, and then finding a nice strapping stud to take out all that anxiety on…" Sarah's eyes widened at that as Carina gave a far-off look. "I mean, John does enjoy a bit of role play."

"Hey, that's enough," Sarah told her. Sarah started to say more when Chuck walked out of her office, and over to the coffee machine. He messed with it for a few seconds and Sarah's spirits lifted, hearing it working. "How'd you do that?"

"We sell it at the Buy More. It has some issues, from time to time," Chuck told her. Chuck looked over at Carina. "Is it Miller, or Hansen?"

"Miller," Carina told him. "I used Hansen for a while to hide my real identity."

"Do you affirm that you were a part of the CAT Squad with one Amy, last name redacted, Zondra Rizzo," he paused as he saw the face both women made. "Okay, story there," he muttered under his breath. "And a fourth woman that worked for the DEA and her name has been redacted."

"That fourth woman is standing right here," Carina told him.

"Satisfied?" Sarah asked.

"Honey, if that satisfies a man, you ain't doin' it right," Carina told Sarah.

"I wonder if I could work with you, Sarah?" Chuck asked.

"I'd love for you to," Sarah told him.

"And, for doubting you, I will stop by each morning and make coffee for you," Chuck told her. "I can't start for two weeks. I have to give the Buy More notice." Carina scoffed.

"That's fine, Chuck," Sarah said, giving Carina a look. "That's what real people do, Carina." Carina shrugged. Sarah looked over at Chuck. "And you don't have to make me coffee."

"Oh, I know, but it's my way of apologizing," Chuck told her.

Sarah started to argue, but Carina elbowed her. "Let him make the coffee."

"Fine, you can make the coffee," Sarah told him.

}o{

Now

Sarah opened the door to Castle Security and was pleasantly engulfed by the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee. "Chuck," she called out. "You don't have to keep making coffee."

Chuck walked over to her, handing her a cup, prepped just the way she liked it. She took a sip, shut her eyes, and nearly moaned. "Oh, I know I don't have to. Ready to get to work, partner?"

"Yeah," she told him, heading for her office to put her bag down. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Oh?" Chuck asked, sticking his head in. "What's on the docket."

"Don't know," Sarah admitted. "Casey has something for us, but he says he can't share it alone. And it isn't anything government related."

"Oooo, exciting," Chuck told her. He walked away, and Sarah looked down at the manila folder containing his freshly minted license. In a few minutes she was going to present it to him. She couldn't wait. He deserved it.

A/N: So, for those of you keeping score at home, yes, present day Casey and Carina are NOT a thing…I'm sure that will go fine…you know what, I can't even type that without laughing.

Next time:

"Do I need to come back?" Casey's voice interrupted. The three turned to see John at the door, they hadn't heard him come in.

"Hey, Casey," Chuck began. "Listen-"

"Save it, moron," Casey said, cutting him off. "I know she's just trying to make me jealous."

"That is not how I'd make you jealous," Carina told Casey. She spun Chuck, grabbed his face, dipped him and kissed him. Sarah's eyes widened, watching the sight in front of her. Carina brought the two of them back to a standing position and released Chuck. "That's how I'd do it…IF I was trying to make you jealous."

"All you did was blow the nerd's mind," Casey replied. "Or maybe something else." Chuck glared at Casey, who shrugged. "So, can we get on with this?"