Author's Note: Okay, this used to be a multi-chapter story but I've changed it. I said at the end of the original story that I reserved the right to change it if the finale went to hell, and, well, here we are. I don't want to turn this into a discussion of the finale, that's over and done. I'm just following through on a promise I made to myself. Please ignore any reviews after Chapter 1. They are not relevant but I can't actually erase them for whatever reason.

As usual: I don't own Chuck.

-0-

The Paris Encounter

They stood together on the balcony, looking out over the city illuminated by the moonlight. The Eiffel Tower stood glowing off in the distance. He brought her closer and wrapped his arms around her. She rested the back of her head against his shoulder and put her hands over his.

"So, how long do you have this time?"

"Three days," she responded with a sigh. "You?"

"Well, technically, I'm kind of on a stake out right now."

"Chuck! What are you doing here?" She said as she tried to free herself from his embrace.

Chuck pulled her back and spoke softly into her ear. "Relax, Sarah. I knew it was a bust the first day here," he said as he held her firmly. "It was a dead end, but no one else needs to know that for a couple of days."

"Chuck, you've really got to start taking things more seriously," she replied as she once again relaxed in his arms.

"Where's the fun in that, Ms. Walker?" Chuck asked in a soft, playful tone.

"It's not about fun, it's about responsibility," she returned.

"Oh? I see I still have some work to do, but don't worry, we'll get you there."

"I'm perfectly fine the way I am, Chuck." She let out a long, satisfied breath. "This is the way mature adults behave, especially in our business."

"Well, who wants that?" Chuck scoffed. "All of you are so uptight."

"Is that right?"

"Remember when we first met?" He placed a kiss on her neck. "Not a trace of a sense of humor anywhere to be found and I was pretty damn funny, not to mention charming."

"I had a perfectly well developed sense of humor, thank you very much," she responded. "You just weren't very funny."

"Ouch... you wound me, Sarah." He said as he nuzzled her neck.

She moaned in delight. "And even if that was true, that didn't stop you from coming after me," she reminded.

"Well, I mean, look at you, you're freaking hot. Oof!" She elbowed him in the stomach. "I can't compliment you now?"

"Not when you make a joke out of it."

"Sarah, I wouldn't joke about that." He turned her around and stared right into her vibrant blue eyes. "You are beautiful, inside and out, and I'm extremely lucky you gave me the time of day."

"Thank you," she smiled warmly. "And, I suppose, maybe you were a little charming back then." She shivered a little.

"You're cold," Chuck observed. "Let's get inside and order some dinner, I'm a little hungry." She nodded. He took hold of her hand and led her inside, placing her ahead of him.

-0-

Chuck finished placing their orders and hung up the phone. He pulled out a chair for Sarah at the small table in their room.

She smiled. "You don't have to that every time, you know."

"I know I don't have to," he replied, "but with you, I want to."

"I guess I can suffer through it, if I must."

He grinned. "It'll be about twenty minutes."

She nodded. "So, how'd it turn out last time?"

He sighed. "I lost his trail in Chile. I got sloppy and he gave me the slip."

"Hey," she reached over and placed a hand over his, "he may have gotten away then, but you'll get him next time."

"I know," he continued. "It's just, I hate the way things turned out, you know?"

"Chuck, you have nothing to blame yourself for," she gave a light squeeze to his hand. "He made his choices. He knew what he was doing and he did it anyway."

"A small part of me can't help but think that if I hadn't—"

"You didn't," she interrupted him. "Even if you hadn't come into the picture, nothing would have happened. He was nice enough but there just wasn't anything there." Chuck sighed. "If it wasn't that, it would have been something else, you know that. He was always too full of himself for his own good and it finally caught up to him."

"The way he is now, that wasn't the guy I first met. Have I ever told you about that?"

"Once or twice," she gave him a small smile. "Chuck, this life changes people. It was changing me before I met you." She cast her gaze down briefly. "I don't know how you did it, but I'm glad that you are who you are and that I met you when I did."

"I'm stubborn as a mule, that's how," Chuck chuckled. "I think you have some personal experience with that." He shuffled his eyebrows a little.

Sarah laughed. "I forgot you could do that."

"What!" He said putting on an air of outrage. "That's like my thing! My signature move."

"Sorry to disappoint you Chuck, but it's not much of a move."

"It worked with you didn't it?" He said with a hint of arrogance. Sarah scrunched her face in an apologetic grimace. "No," he drew out as realization dawned. "Sarah, you lied?"

"I didn't have the heart to tell you," she replied.

"Wait 'til Ellie hears about this," he said shaking his head. Sarah had that look again. "Oh, come on!"

"She asked!" Sarah defended. "She didn't think it was much of a move either."

"I've been living a lie," he said overdramatically.

"Oh, stop being so melodramatic," she retorted. "You'd only just figured out how to do it when we met."

"Still... I really thought I had something going there."

"What? Is there some other girl you were planning on using it on?" She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Of course not," he quickly answered. "I just figured if I ever have a son, it would be something I could teach him," he shrugged.

"Ha!" Sarah exclaimed. "Poor kid would never get a date."

"He would if he had your looks," Chuck pointed out.

"Chuck, if he had my looks, he wouldn't need gimmicks," Sarah assured.

"Well, I can't argue with that," Chuck admitted, again performing his little dance. She shook her head, grinning. "Ah... I'll get you yet."

"I'm sure you'll try." She agreed. "Speaking of Ellie, how's she doing? It's been a while since the last time I saw her."

"She and Devon just moved into a new apartment," he started.

-0-

Their food had arrived. Chuck answered the door, brought the cart in and placed their trays on the table.

"Thank you," Sarah offered as he removed the cover from her dish. Chuck took his seat across from her.

Throughout the meal, Sarah kept picking at Chuck's plate without a second thought. He smiled as he thought back to when he first met Sarah, things certainly had changed. Then he realized she'd taken all his food and he was still hungry. He got up to order a cheeseburger, he figured he'd better get two... and some fries.

-0-

They lay in bed after a very filling meal, for Sarah anyway. He didn't know where she put it all.

She was snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand resting on his chest. "Chuck?"

"Hmm?"

"You know I think about it, right?"

"Think about what?"

"Leaving the job behind... settling down."

"Is it what you want?" He asked softly.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "You know my history. I never actually saw it as an option before." Before him, she meant.

He gently stroked her arm. "Sarah." He stopped, then started again. "I've always wanted a family and I've told you before I can see myself having one with you but I'm not going to pressure you into anything," he explained. "Think about what you want, take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you, Chuck." She reached up and kissed him.

Chuck brought her on top of him. He grabbed the back of her head, brought her in close, and started kissing her fervently. Sarah returned every bit of his passion.

Then his phone started ringing.

"Urmmm!" Sarah groaned out in annoyance as she placed her face on his shoulder. "Somebody had better be dying."

Chuck moved to answer the phone. "Hello?" He was slightly out of breath. "Oh, hey, C—Actually, I kinda am. No, I remember but—Well, can't it—Right, we're going with the moron thing, gotcha." He sighed as he put the phone down. "How would you feel about a quick trip to Afghanistan?" He asked Sarah as he stared at the ceiling.

"What?"

"According to Casey, there'll be some gunplay involved, but I'm telling you it'll be quick and we'll still have some time to ourselves afterwards."

"Do we have to?"

"I owe him," Chuck lamented.

"I suppose," she sighed. "But just for that, I'm going to recount to him, in detail, what Carina told me about their last encounter," she smirked.

"Oh... you evil woman."

"That's what he gets for interrupting."

-0-

"Hello, Bryce," Chuck announced himself from behind.

Bryce's body went rigid from shock. His eye remained on the scope and his finger on the side of the trigger, he didn't dare move.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised or disappointed that this is where I found you," he continued evenly. "Call me naive, but I still hoped I could pull you back, that I could get you to turn yourself in." He looked over at the apartment across the street and shook his head.

The shock wore off and he thought he'd be the faster draw. Bryce's trigger finger raced to its destination. "Agh!" He released the rifle and rolled onto his back, clutching the hand with a now missing index finger as it bled profusely.

"Uh-uh-uh," Chuck cocked his gun, aimed straight at Bryce's head. "I guess it's a good thing I decided on that silencer, after all."

Looking up at Chuck, from his position on the floor of that roof, Bryce knew he was finished.

"She chose me, and for that you turn your back on your country," Chuck remarked. "Do you really hate me that much?"

Bryce said nothing.

Chuck sighed sadly. "Guess it doesn't matter much now, anyway," he rationalized. "I have my orders."

"This is what I didn't want you to turn into," Bryce finally spoke. "This is what I tried to protect you from," he offered as a last resort.

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "And, just what is this?"

"A cold-hearted spy," Bryce lamented.

Chuck laughed at him. "Is that really all you got?" He asked incredulously. "If you're going to lie, at least try a little harder," he shook his head in amusement. "Sorry, Bryce. That one got old years ago."

A sober, regretful look came over Chuck. "I know what this life did to you, I'm sorry about how things turned out. I really am," Chuck said with conviction.

"Screw you, you pathetic—" A hole suddenly appearing on his forehead shut him up.

Chuck huffed in frustration as he walked away: An asshole right to the very end.

-0-

Author's Note: I liked this one when I wrote it, and I still do. I have this nagging urge to expand on it but, for now, this story is complete.