Another idea I had stuck in my head. Normal disclaimers apply and all that.

Charles Irving Bartowski was now pissed off. He had once again tried to talk to Sarah Walker about their relationship, and once again he had been shot down. He couldn't possibly be that bad at reading someone, or maybe she was just that good at not being read. He spent most of his time trying to figure out what she liked, didn't like, and though about just about everything. He sometimes felt a bit stalkerish because of the amount of time he invested in making her happy, and he still go shot down into a pile of flaming debris. Well, that was enough of that.

But how could he continue to work with her and still feel this way about her? And the cover, that wouldn't help in the least. He didn't want Sarah to leave; he just wanted to stop having his heart crushed every time he tried to hand it to her. If she loved her job so much, he'd give her plenty of it. That might help him also, if she's so busy he wouldn't get the differing signals he had the problem with. Then it occurred to him that he was the one that was mad, that had been rejected once again, and he was already finding a way to spare her feelings. Baby steps I guess….

Ok, so step one in keeping Sarah busy was what? Protecting him was her job, and getting in life threatening situations constantly didn't seem like a good idea, so what else was her job? Well, if he was safe, then it was to complete the mission. So he needed more missions, which meant involving General Beckman and Casey. Casey would love the idea of more missions, so no problem there. General Beckman would like the results of more successful missions, but she would be the one to have to issue them.

So, step two is to figure out a way to get General Beckman to give the team, or Sarah, more missions. Well, missions were the result of flashes, so he needed to flash more. I guess those daily reports were going to get looked at a lot more. But to insure local missions he'd have to do what? Scan the local papers? Listen to a police scanner? Well, that might work some, but connecting the dots and becoming proactive about Fulcrum seemed more useful. Taking Fulcrum out seemed a lot more useful, maybe it was time to go on the offensive.

Step 3 then was to start getting more serious about Fulcrum. He'd need to review all the cases involving Fulcrum, and then work the Intersect to mine any links that had been over looked. He could write a program or two that might help with the flow, but making the links and associations would have to be him. So now he's busier providing leads, which means less time with Sarah. She's busier following up those leads, also less time with Sarah.

Step 4 would have to be increasing my safety. I like that part, but it's necessary because it over writes completing the mission for Sarah. Most of the research part can be done from Castle, but I'll have to continue to go on missions or they'll just bunkerize me. Maybe learning the comms gear, that would keep me in the van with video surveillance of what's going on. It sounds like self defense and firearms training would be necessary too. Casey could teach me all of that, so less time with Sarah again. Turning the missions more into information and discovery, and having a separate strike force for the actual shoot outs would be a good idea too. Less chance of any of us getting hurt that way, although Casey will probably want to lead the strike force every time.

Now for problems, the biggest I can see is can I watch Sarah get close to a mark on a mission? If Sarah is on more missions, which are of an information and discovery nature, that means getting more men to tell her things. Can I watch Sarah flirt with even more men? Is seeing her seduce other men better than her rejection of me? And do I want to be the man that creates the need for that to happen? Crap. That means I would be making Sarah seduce other men to spare myself from rejection. Crap.

So now I have a plan that makes Sarah, Casey, and General Beckman happier and the world a safer place from Fulcrum, but I have to prostitute Sarah. Sarah has told me that sex is the last option and it hardly ever gets to that point, but that means it is an option. How can I live with that? Yeah, this plan sucks.

Plan B, step 1, spend more time with Sarah until she admits to her feelings for me.

Step 2 still works

Step 3 still works, but Sarah needs to be with me to follow up the leads, and she can help me with providing the leads.

Step 4 still works, but Sarah can teach me self defense and firearms. She wouldn't make fun of me the way Casey would anyway while I learn.

Now for the problems, Sarah still has to get close to some marks, but I trust her to not go beyond the line. If she has the feelings for me I think she does, she wouldn't. I'm back to risking my heart, but isn't she worth it? Especially when the option is either I create the opportunity for her prostitution, or she gets reassigned and probably is forced to do the same?

So it comes down to what type of man I want to be, one that will risk his heart again or one that would keep it safe while prostituting the one he wants to give it to. Hmm… that's not really a choice.

Suddenly his cell phone rings, and he sees the smiling face of Sarah Walker on the display. "Hi Sarah."

"Chuck, before I lose my nerve again, can we talk? I'm actually outside now. We'll need to go for a drive though for this conversation."

"Yeah Sarah, I'd like that. I'll be right out." He got up and went outside to see Sarah waiting by the fountain. She looked worried and frustrated, but when she looked at him he saw her calm and a smile came across her face. He couldn't stop smiling himself as he walked toward her. Plan B was looking good.