A/N: This is gonna take a bit. These two are in a totally different place totally different circumstances. Find something to hang on to. This one is about to get rough.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

The elevator doors opened, and Sarah stormed out, her eyes flashing. Morgan looked up from where he was talking with Mary. Mary watched her storm past, and saw the look on Morgan's face. "Go," Mary said to him.

"How did you… you know what, never mind, you're the leader of this for a reason," Morgan muttered and walked over to Sarah.

"Miller," Mary barked, making Carina scurry over.

"Hey, what's wrong, and where's Chuck?" Morgan asked, pulling Sarah away from everyone so they could have some privacy. "I thought you two were gonna talk?"

"Oh, we did," Sarah replied, shoving her hair back with one hand. She paced back and forth, a few steps one way and then a few steps back. Stopping, she faced him, threw out her arms, and used all of her training to keep her voice low. "He accused me of being wound too tight, and apparently it would do me some good to get 'unwound'."

"Sex?" Morgan asked for clarification. Sarah glared at him. "Right, sorry, continue." Morgan glanced across the room to notice everyone staying away, not even trying to listen in. Mary was talking to Carina in a low voice, and Casey had disappeared.

"He said that, and I quote, 'Maybe you should go up there and drag Morgan off and the two of you discuss whatever it was you were discussing earlier.'" The look on her face was, how do you like that?

Morgan tapped his chin with his index finger, and nodded his head. "Hmmm. Interesting." He stroked his beard for a moment. "He noticed... he noticed us talking on the cellphones…" he paused. "Actually, that would be texting."

"Morgan!" she said softly, but intensely. "Of everything I told you, that is what you are focusing on?"

"Uh, duh," Morgan replied. "Because he noticed you." Sarah stared at him. "The question you're not asking is, why is he noticing?" Sarah stared at him, and tried to answer. She felt like her jaw was flopping around like a fish out of water every time she tried to speak, so she snapped it shut.

The elevator doors opened, and Morgan saw Chuck emerge, clearly looking for someone. Chuck's eyes found Sarah, seeing her with Morgan, and that's when Morgan saw it: A dejected, defeated look. Chuck thought he had lost Sarah to Morgan, which was interesting because Chuck had given no indication they were together… other than so strenuously objecting to Chuck and Sarah sleeping together in that hotel room. Morgan grinned.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"Trust me?" Morgan asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. Sarah glanced at his hand, and he quickly removed it, swallowing hard. Sarah grinned at him, took a deep breath, and gave a quick nod. "Be Vicky Vale."

"But he wants Carina," she argued.

"Okay, I disagree… but let's say you're right. What do you want?" Morgan held her gaze, and she had to look away. "It would help if you would say what you're feeling."

"I don't know what I'm feeling," she admitted.

"Then that is what you're feeling; something new, something you don't know how to process," Morgan explained. "Sarah, trust me: Chuck isn't into Carina. I've been his heterosexual life partner since we were kids. I should know."

Morgan watched her mouth 'heterosexual life partner' and shake her head a bit. "Fine, I'm trusting you."

"Go be you, and you'll be fine, because that's what he wants."

"Everyone," Frost called out. Casey was walking back, pushing someone in a wheelchair.

"BRYCE!" Chuck yelled, running over to him, a smile on his face. "Dude, I can't tell you how worried I was."

Carina was standing off to the side, watching Chuck and Bryce, as she felt Casey walk up beside her. "Bryce Larkin, Chuck's friend that he saved from the CIA." Carina nodded. "Bartowski doesn't know it, because according to Frost, Chuck was in shock as the whole thing went down." Carina turned to John, watching him as he told her. "Bennett, my former mentor, pulled a gun with the intention of shooting Chuck." Carina's eyes went wide. "Larkin grabbed Bennett's hand, and twisted it. Bennett went with it, and according to Frost, Larkin had the gun jabbed in his gut to prevent Bennett from killing Bartowski."

Carina turned to look at the two. "There's no way Larkin tells him, you know," Casey said softly, near her ear. "Larkin would die for him."

"Seems that's the consensus of everyone," Carina muttered. "Bartowski probably didn't save him from the CIA. If Larkin would take a bullet for Chuckles, that tells me he didn't have the mental make-up."

"He was on the fast track to be a special agent in charge," Casey said. Carina spun toward him, disbelief on her features. "What I'm telling you is, you do something with Bartowski and hurt him…"

"Solid copy," she replied. "But," she began, an evil grin on her face. "He doesn't have to know that I won't do anything with him."

"You are devil-spawn, Miller," Casey grunted, and began to walk off.

"You seemed to enjoy it back then," she called after him. At that moment, everyone had stopped talking, and they all heard Carina. Chuck looked at her, shook his head and turned back to Bryce. Carina shrugged.

"If you're done giving us nightmares, Miller," Mary began. "I understand you and Chuck have come up with a plan."

"She has," Chuck replied. "I'm not crazy about it," he began.

"I thought we talked about this," Carina insisted.

"No, you talked, I objected, you ignored me, and kept going," Chuck replied.

"Don't like it when someone else does it to you, huh?" Sarah muttered quietly, but not quiet enough that Chuck didn't hear her. He gave her a look, and she matched his gaze with her own challenging look.

"Will you please tell me what I did to piss you off?" Chuck asked.

"Christ," Casey muttered. "Here we go."

"Nothing," Sarah replied with a shrug. "You just won't listen to advice, for some reason I don't understand."

"And you make assumptions about me that are not based in fact," Chuck retorted.

"ENOUGH!" Frost yelled, smacking her hand down on the table. She pushed herself to her feet with her crutches. "What has gotten into you?"

"Maybe you've picked the wrong person to lead this team," Chuck replied. He shook his head. "I'm not cut out for this." With that, he turned and walked away.

}o{

"Okay, we need to talk," she said, once she found him.

"Sarah, I feel like you think I did something wrong, but-" he began.

"Whoa, Chuck… I need to apologize." She took a deep breath and looked around. She had just walked into his quarters like it was nothing. For three days they had been in each other's personal space almost constantly. Was it any wonder they had been at each other's throats? The clearing of his throat brought her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," she said. "Trying to think where to begin."

"Let me begin with this: I do not want to sleep with Carina," Chuck implored, trying to get her to believe him.

"It doesn't matter if you do or don't, Chuck," she replied.

"Of course it does," Chuck replied. Sarah stared at him. Chuck cleared his throat. "Of course it does," he repeated, his voice softer. "You are in danger, because of me. You have to worry about my safety, you have to protect me, and if I was interested in Carina, which, again, I am not…" She gave him a soft smile. "…It would be more figuring out where I am vulnerable. More work on you, which isn't fair, and it's part of why I don't like Carina's plan." He shifted uncomfortably.

"Tell me her plan," Sarah said, her voice just as soft. He shook his head and she reached over, and took his hand. His eyes snapped up to meet hers. "Please… let me decide if it affects security."

He gave a small mutter she couldn't make out, then sighed. "Do you always get your way?" She smiled at him and swung the hand that was clasped with his back and forth. "I'm gonna take that as a yes." She laughed, feeling all the rage and jealousy… good God. That's what that was earlier; jealousy. She had to control her face, or he would see how shaken she was from that realization.

"She wants me to go in as The Piranha, but…" he trailed off, looking at her. She arched an eyebrow, and he glared at her. "Fine, she wants me to go in and play up the nerd fantasy."

"A woman on each arm, because you're so powerful?" Sarah offered, nodding. "I like it."

"Sarah!"

"Not like that, you goof, and by the way, I am one of the women." The tone in which she said it made him snap his mouth shut without argument. "That would let both of us protect you, but what about Zondra and Skip?"

"They were my messengers, to see if it was worth my time," Chuck replied.

Sarah was nodding. "So those two sneak away while the three of us create a distraction?" Chuck nodded. "It's good, but you're gonna need some serious clothes to pull this off." Chuck arched his own eyebrow. "Oh, come on, a woman on each arm."

"A beautiful woman," Chuck said softly, causing Sarah to pause.

"So, you think Carina's beautiful?"

"No, I think she's deadly," Chuck countered.

"And me?"

"There aren't enough adjectives to describe you, but you can pull off just beautiful for this mission. You'll really have to down play it to do that, but you have the ability." Sarah's mouth had gone dry. She wasn't sure how to react, and she couldn't stop the words from blurting out of her mouth.

"We're gonna need a white jacket," she muttered.

}o{

Chuck found himself standing at the bottom of Castle. Sarah and Carina were on either side, looking at the computer screen.

"Wow, Curls, they go all out for you," Carina said looking around. "The DEA needs your budget."

"It's been estimated that the CATS program has saved the US over one trillion dollars since it's inception," Casey said, making Carina blink. "Between recovering funds, finding cheaper alternatives for missions, and just good fiscal responsibility."

"Damn, Casey, you almost sound turned on," Carina said, making Chuck blink. "But I know how that actually sounds." Chuck thought his stomach would lurch. He turned and saw Sarah staring at him.

"I swear, no interest," he mouthed to her. A slight smile covered her face. "Casey, is this doable?"

"It is," Casey replied. "I like Miller's plan. I like it a lot."

"Could anything go wrong?" Chuck asked.

"Oh, the whole thing could go pear-shaped at any minute," Casey told him. Chuck shook his head, grabbed the white suit that Carina had picked, and took it into the changing room to change clothes.

"Casey, should I shut this down?" Sarah asked.

"No," Casey replied, shaking his head. "I've got my sniper rifle just in case, and the plan is solid. It's just… I don't know what shape Skip and Rizzo are in. I don't know how the kid will react."

Chuck walked out in the white suit, making Carina and Sarah give a low wolf whistle. "Looking good, Curls. This is gonna work."

"Keep it in your pants, Miller," Casey growled. "Time to take this kid into the field for a real mission. Try not to ruin your pretty suit."

"It's coming back exactly the way it looks now," Chuck retorted.

He didn't know how much of a lie that was.

}o{

24 hours later

"Team! Status report!" Mary yelled into the comms.

"I'm getting nothing," Morgan replied. "They're being jammed."

"A tac team is inbound," Beckman added. "Do we have any status?"

"I've got a camera turned on in the van," Bryce yelled. "I have a visu…" He trailed off. "Oh God," he whimpered.

"Bryce!" Mary said, rising. "Damn it!" she screamed as the pain hit her leg. "BRYCE!"

"He's covered in blood," Bryce said. "WAIT! He's talking, I can make out…"

"Do you have audio?" Mary asked, worry dripping from her voice.

Bryce stood up and turned to Mary. "He keeps repeating the same word, over and over." Mary stared at him, her face pale. "He keeps saying… dead."

A/N: He doesn't mean, dead, dead...right? Oh, let's look ahead.

Chuck stood there, staring at the casket. The sky was grey, rain was coming down, and he didn't care. He stared at the casket, thinking how someone had died on his watch. He was team lead, and it had gone pear-shaped. Mary stood on one side of him, crutches under her arms, and he wondered how disappointed she must be in him.

Morgan stood to the other, not saying a word, not having to, because he was Morgan, and he was just there, like he always had be, like he always would. Why had he had the audacity to believe he could be field commander? Why did he listen to Carina? Tears flowed down his cheeks. He looked up and saw Carina's face. She was standing on the other side, watching him. She was shook beyond belief. There was no teasing, no ineuendo, she simply mouthed, "I'm sorry." Chuck gave a nod and she walked away. Everyone did as the casket lowered, except for Chuck, Mary, Morgan, and the person standing behind him.

I'm pretty sure this is absolutely not fine. Oh my. Come on back next time. Reviews are always appreciated.