A.N. Probably set season 2. I have stole… um, borrowed heavily from Wepdiggy's magnificent AP franchise, and the mythical show "Sam" that Sarah/AP is addicted to. If I got the character names from "Sam" wrong, I apologise. That show never made it on to TV over here. So let me know if I need to correct any names. Probably a one shot.
I don't own Chuck et al.
Sarah Vs The Fan Fiction.
"Chuck!"
Chuck jumped back from his computer hastily. His stricken expression was reminiscent of a baby Harp Seal caught out on a freeway at night. That would be, if (very cute) baby Harp Seals frequented night time freeways.
Sarah grinned to herself as she moved away from the Morgan Door. 'God love him, you can read him like a book' she thought to herself. "Wotcha doin?" she asked in a sing-song voice, stepping closer to him.
"Um, nothing. Just surfing the net, you know…" Chuck positioned himself between Sarah and his computer screen. He could feel the sweat prickling everywhere, even the back of his head. He desperately, and what he was sure was surreptitiously, tried to shut his screen down by reaching behind himself and stabbing blindly.
She tried to peer behind him. He kept trying to block her view. They were now standing millimetres apart. He could feel the warmth of her breasts press into his own chest, her sweet breath on his lips, her steady gaze smouldering into him. He felt his knees weaken when she licked her lips, and said in a whisper that sent shivers all over him;
"Chuck, if you don't show what you're hiding, very badly by the way, I will make you wish you showed me straight away."
"Um, Sarah… it's not what…."
"Chuck!"
"…Ummm….." as he danced something similar to the 'I really want to go to the toilet' dance.
"Chuck, what's this?"
"It's …. Sarah….." he ended in a plea.
She did the one eyebrow thing (way better than Spock, by the way. Probably because she was….)
"Sarah, it's …. I've been …"
The eyebrow stayed in place.
"I'vebeenwritingfanfiction"
"You WHAT?"
"You know that TV show you like? 'Sam?' About the guy, and the secret agent, Claire, who love each other, but can't …. Well, I've sort of…"
"Oh, God, Chuck. Tell you haven't… You idiot! What part of covert, secret under cover and covert did you not understand?"
They were still standing so close, that under other circumstances it would be driving one (and, oh so rarely, both) of them crazy with temptation. Not this time. It was like her eyes were aflame, and her hair swirling in wrathful vengeance. Intense, was the nicest way Chuck could describe it.
"Um…. It was an accident…."
She continued to glare at him. Bits of her chest heaving against his as she tried to control her breathing.
"Sarah, I'm not a complete idiot. I've routed through a very elegant, might I add, routine that will bounce my signature to some place in one of the old Soviet 'Stan nations. And I used a fake name when I set up a Yahoo e-mail. Look, it harmless, OK? It's just people like us who like 'Sam' that have well, added bits to the show."
"Us?" the growl was very Casey like.
"Well, you like the show too….. moving on….. when they were between seasons, I discovered this site. There's some really good stuff here. Remember that scene when the retired agent, Hamish Macbeth ordered Sam to kiss Claire, and they got … caught up? Well, one of the first ones I read was about that scene, from Claire's point of view. Which I loved, because I never really know what ….. she's thinking. In the show, I mean….."
The glare lowered to DefCon3, and she allowed a little space between them.
"It's really good. Anyway, I'd been reading different stories for a month or so, and I had an idea ….. early one morning….. and I joined up, and spent over a week re-working this idea before I posted it. One of the scariest things I've done, which is saying something. Somewhere in between standing with you in front of a very big bomb, and being dangled off a tall building. And people read it. What's more, they liked it. One person listed it as their favourite on the first day. I was ….. really happy….."
"Chuck"
"Look, no one can find me on this, OK?"
"You're sure?"
Chuck gave his best Han Solo "Hey. It's me."
Sarah struggled not to let her smile blossom. She was supposed to be mad at him.
Chuck did notice that the glare backed down a couple of notches. He moved to the computer.
"No Chuck, don't shut it down. I nee…. I want to see."
He started to protest, and realised quickly that it was hopeless. He held the chair for her with the smile of a man mentally checking that his last will and testament was in order.
"So, this is how many people have read your story. Stories? You've written six stories? Just how long have you been doing this?" the eyebrow was back.
"….Um… about six months or so. Most of mine are really short though. One of the first ones I read was about 50 chapters long, and at least 6 pages per chapter. When they make the movie about Sam, there's the script right there. So the main page is….."
"Not so fast, buster. I'm still mad at you, remember?" said she 'twixt gritted teeth. "So, that's your user name?"
"Pen name, yes. I just chose random letters and numbers so people would think that was my initials, and when I was born."
"So these people think you're almost forty? Can you pull that off?"
"Well, there are a lot of references to Fire Fly, Python….. never mind. Yes. I know my popular culture. Nerd."
"Who's Laura?"
"Um…."
"She has sent you …. Six messages. And she's called you 'Chuck.' Who is she? And just how does she know your name?"
He sat on the bed, leaning in closer to her. She turned to face him, arms crossed, leaning back. Head tilted slightly to one side.
"I'd only been publishing for a little while. I was still pretty new. But I know what it's like to get a review longer than just three words. She'd written this amazing first person Claire point of view. Amazing. And a first fiction too. So I thought I'd be nice, and leave a review about what I found good about it."
Sarah had eased the defensive position a little, but was still sceptical.
"And I guess, because she's new, she wrote back a thank-you. A really nice one. Made me feel good. Anyway, a month or so later, I posted a story where Sam and Claire get sent to a country I made up called Costa Gravas. I got lucky and people liked it. Well, Laura was one of the people who posted a review. Being polite, I replied back. And we've bounced thank-yous back and forth. That's all."
"So why does she talk about a 'bad day' in this one?" the arms were heading back into folded position.
"Um….. that was… Sarah, please don't be mad. That was when ….. I found out Bryce was ….in…. your… Bryce was back. I'm ….. Anyway, I'd written a fight scene with the baddie. So, that night I re-wrote a slightly more violent fight where Claire kills the baddie. And I made a note at the bottom saying I'd had bad day. I've removed that since." Chuck noticed her expression when he mentioned finding Bryce in her room. While she was good at hiding her feelings, since he'd known her, Chuck was getting better at reading her. It looked like she was sorry, or hurt. Well, she was leaning towards him again. That was a better sign.
"Look, she's not the only person I've been messaging. This guy, Nate. Very funny man, by the way. We've messaged several times too."
"His messages aren't as…personal."
"I guess that's just how she is. And there, in this message I mention you, see?"
"Wife? I'm your wife. You named me Kate?"
"Well, if I'm fourtyish, male and single, that sends up a couple of red flags…. Or pink. Not that there's anything wrong with that…." He ventured an eyebrow dance. Her eyes smirked, but no smile. Yet. "And being married, I figured that was safest. I mean, this isn't My Face. It's for fans to play around with ideas. And who said you were Kate?"
The last retort earned him a thump on his arm. "You just did, you idiot." But they were both smiling now.
"OK, show me what you got mister."
"You mean my stuff? Stories?"
"Mmm Hmm." She nodded.
"OK, let me…" he got up, and leaned over her to select one of his stories. Sarah leaned a little out of the way, but they were both aware of their proximity to each other. This time it was a tingly good feeling. Sarah always made Chuck's personal space shrink in the wash somehow.
"OK. This is one of the short ones. It's a song fic. That's where you … you know how the music's really appropriate for the scene on Sam? Well, I don't know where it started from, but it's pretty common. A song stands out as being appropriate, and you write a scene or story for it. The guy I mention here, Bricklane, he's a master of it. Whole stories. Mine are a lot simpler. See if you can pick it."
Sarah read the short story. It was only a page. It was about Claire, she was leaving Sam. She'd been ordered away. And Sam was devastated. Wait, Sam was killed? What?
Chuck left the room to grab a kitchen chair. When he came back Sarah was at the bottom of the page. He smiled to himself, and waited for her to….
Sarah made a "Huh?" sound and looked at Chuck in….. Chuck didn't know that expression. Wonder. Amazed. Proud? She scrolled back to the start, and began again. Reading more carefully this time.
She faced Chuck's proud smirk as he sat close beside her. "Oh, alright. That was ….. clever. I thought it was about Sam and… but it wasn't. You did everything from the first episode, and made me think….. smartass." She bumped her shoulder into him.
"Here, read this one. This is Nate's. It makes me laugh every time."
Chuck found and clicked on a story called "Sam Vs The Socially Exited Claire." He was studying her as she read. About halfway through she burst out laughing. A real Sarah laugh. He grinned at her as she turned to him with tears in her eyes. It was a thing of beauty.
"Was that the part where Claire threatens Sam with Heath Ledger's 'Make this pencil disappear, it's like magic?'"
All she could do was nod. She clutched at his arm, and buried her face. Desperately trying not to giggle. Agents don't giggle.
He wrapped his arm around her, thought very hard about kissing the top of her head. He lost the struggle. He whispered to her "See, it's just ….. fun. That's why I do it."
She shifted her face, to face his. "You should have told me. I know it's OK. And I do trust you, you know. This just….. scared me, I guess. You shouldn't keep secrets from your …. wife."
He grinned, resting his forehead against hers, their eyes close. "That sounds nice."