(A/N) So here it is. My first attempt at AU Chuck. I have enough notes and story line to carry this one pretty far but I guess it will really depend on what everyone thinks. Just before you start know that I am Charah all the way and this will definitely be no different even though our favorite nerd doesn't appear in this chapter. I had this random idea and I just went with it. I still haven't decided how nasty I am going to make Bryce here though, either pathetic or vile, maybe both? Hmmmm. Guess it will depend how I am feeling when I get to that part, LOL!

Still not cool enough to own Chuck, but I try hard every day!

Please review!

Sarah drained the last bit of wine from her glass and sighed as she looked across the table. The candles were burned down and had melted wax all over the table cloth. The once steaming rack of lamb lay cold and congealed on the serving platter, completely untouched. The two place settings she had carefully laid out hours before remained pristine, food never making it to their shiny surfaces. She pushed away from the table and quickly blew out the candles, grabbed her bottle of wine and her glass and made her way to the couch. She flipped off her heels and unzipped her dress, letting it fall behind her as she flopped on the couch, grabbing her favorite throw blanket and snuggling in to it as she poured another glass of wine.

As she sipped her fourth glass of wine for the night she stared out the window of her loft apartment at the glittering lights of the city below. She was so used to being stood up at this point she wasn't even upset about it anymore. What the hell am I doing? Why do I keep letting him do this to me? She reached across the coffee table and grabbed her phone, dialing quickly she held the phone to her ear and took another sip of her wine.

"Walker? I take it if you are calling me he never showed." Carina answered the phone with a sympathetic tone.

"And you would be correct. That's officially 8 months Carina. 8 months since he has even made an attempt to spend any time with me." Sarah said dejectedly, burrowing further down in to her blanket with her glass of wine.

"Ya know, I hate to say it but you give him too much credit Sarah. He's married, what do you expect? I have been telling you this was a bad idea from day one. You have been his mistress for almost 3 years now, he was bound to get bored. Once a player, always a player." Carina said as gently as she could. She was sincerely tired of these conversations because she was really tired of seeing her friend hurting.

"You're probably right, but then why in the world does he still let me stay here? I don't know Carina, this was never supposed to be like this. He told me he was leaving her, that he was going to be here with me. Then time just kept moving, and still he kept going home to her. I really thought I loved him, but I think I just loved what he represented. Freedom. A way out." Sarah rambled, starting to feel the wine finally and getting a bit emotional as she thought about what had brought her here to begin with.

"I know. But Sarah, you don't love him. Hell, at this point I don't even think you like him very much. I know why you started this, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why you have stayed so long. It's time to move on. You know I have a room ready for you at my place."

"Yeah, because being a third wheel on your random hook ups every night sounds like a lot of fun." Sarah rolled her eyes and smiled at the thought of living with her best friend. Carina was amazingly beautiful and not only did she know it but half of California did as well. Her sheets were never cold unless she wanted them that way, which was not very often. "I do agree though, it's time to move on. I just have to figure out what that means considering he's also my boss."

"There are other businesses that need PR reps Sarah. Bryce "Douchetastic" Larkin is not the only game in town. Besides, you need a job that you didn't get by sleeping with the boss. You are so much better than that." Carina scolded her lovingly, trying to keep the snark out of her voice because she didn't want her friend becoming defensive on the other end.

"I'm such a loser Carina. I can't keep a man interested, I can't get a decent job without spreading my legs, and I don't even have my own place to live. What am I going to do?" Sarah began that short road to self deprecation as the wine finally took hold of her.

"HEY! Don't you talk like that! You would have no issues keeping a man if you found the right one, your almost as hot as I am! Any non-married man with half a brain would give his right arm to be with you. And you are good at your job, Bryce didn't win the Silver Anvil award babe, you did. That had nothing to do with sleeping with Bryce. So he got you the job because you were sleeping together, big deal. You have proved your worth to that company ten times over and you know it. And my offer still stands on the room, just until you get your feet on the ground. Sarah, you are better than this, please believe me. I am not good at blowing sunshine up people's asses. I only speak the truth, you know that." Carina passionately countered Sarah's depressed thoughts one by one, wishing she could put Bryce's nuts in a vice for making her feel this way to begin with.

"Thanks Carina, you're right. It still hurts though. What does Jill have that I don't?" Sarah said quietly, more to herself than to Carina.

"A wedding ring." Carina stated bluntly. "And an asshole cheater for a husband." Carina added with an amused tone sprinkled with distaste.

Sarah smiled and laughed softly. "And that is why you are my best friend."

Carina laughed. "Go to bed Sarah."

"G'night Carina, thanks." Sarah said sincerely.

"Anytime." Carina said and hung up.

Sarah threw the blanket off her and put her wine glass down on the coffee table. She grabbed her clothes off the floor and headed back to her bedroom, staggering slightly as she made her way to the bed. She plugged her phone in and made sure her alarm was set before she crawled in between the blankets and fell asleep.

Around three in the morning Sarah awoke to the sound of someone stumbling around in her living room. She reached under her pillow and pulled out her knife and stayed perfectly still as the noisy intruder made their way closer and closer to her room. Just as she was about to throw the knife she heard a loud whisper coming from the shadow that stood in her doorway.

"Sarah? Baby? Are you awake?" She slid the knife under her pillow and turned over to see a very disheveled Bryce clumsily walking through her doorway towards her bed.

"Bryce? It's three in the morning, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked angrily.

Bryce got to the bed and began pulling his clothes off, reaching out for her face as he did so. "Aww baby, don't be like that. I'm sorry I missed dinner but I had some important clients in town. They wanted to eat dinner and go out for drinks and then one thing led to another and we were at a strip club…" he stopped talking and flopped on top of her causing her to groan loudly as he clumsily tried to kiss her.

"Are you kidding me right now? Get off me!" Sarah pushed him off her and got out of bed, flipping the side lamp on and staring down at her intruder. "You stood me up Bryce, AGAIN! I'm done. You haven't spent any time with me in 8 months! 8 MONTHS BRYCE! I know you have the wife at home and all but what that means for me is I haven't had sex in 8 months, and I damn sure am not going to take the drunken pity screw version right now! GET OUT!" Sarah screamed and pointed towards the door.

Bryce stared at her with an unreadable expression and slowly stood up. His eyes never left hers as he started to collect his clothes from the floor. Suddenly he dropped them and grabbed her angrily shaking form and pulled her to him. "I really am sorry Sarah. Just so we are clear though, my wife and I do not have sex. You know that. It has been just as long for me, I promise I have just been busy with work." He cupped her jaw with his right hand and ran his left hand softly up and down her back. "I have missed you so much baby…" he began kissing her neck and slowly moving her towards the bed with him.

Sarah closed her eyes and for a split second considered letting him have his way, she was craving being touched and his hands felt so good on her body. It had been so long. As she leaned her head back and Bryce made his way down her neck with his lips she remembered the amazing meal she had cooked all afternoon for him, the one that sat on the table still, untouched. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. "No Bryce. This is not happening. I deserve more than a 3 AM booty call. You need to go home to your wife."

Bryce stood with a disappointed look on his face and once again started collecting his clothes. He sat on the bed to place his shoes on and looked up at her. "Let me make it up to you, please? The biggest party of the year is tomorrow at Diane Beckman's estate. You can make some great contacts there, we can do some dancing, have a few drinks, and then afterwards we can spend the night together, just you and me. Jill will be at her parents all weekend. I will stay here with you all weekend baby, I promise."

Sarah considered this proposition. She knew what it took to get in to Beckman's parties, and she also knew how good it would be for her career to be seen there. She wasn't really interested in the weekend slumber party but he had never stayed the night with her, she doubted he would actually do so now. Still the thought was intriguing and she figured the party would be worth it for her own reasons. "Fine. I will meet you there. Now go, I have to get some sleep." Sarah said as she wearily pointed at the door. Bryce smiled and stood up.

"That's my girl. You sure we can't have a little moment before I go?" Bryce said as he walked up to her and grabbed her waist. Sarah pulled away almost immediately and pointed towards the door again with an angry growl. "Ok! I'm going!" Bryce backed away and grabbed his coat off the floor as he walked towards the front door. "Tomorrow you are mine though Sarah." Bryce said with a cocky smile as he was closing the door behind him.

Sarah locked the deadbolt and slid the chain in place behind him. Apparently the chain was needed to keep from having unwelcomed visitors now. She turned and leaned her back against the door and slid down to the floor, staring at her hands which were currently shaking. "We'll see Bryce. We'll see." She sat on the floor and allowed herself a moment to calm down before picking herself up off the floor and heading back to bed, alone.

Sarah awoke to her alarm and realized quickly she had slept through about 30 minutes of its incessant ringing. Late is always such a great way to start your Friday. She scrambled out of bed and flew in to the shower. She had spent most the night thinking about her current situation, or more to the point how to get out of her current situation. She was finally sure that she wanted away from Bryce. Whatever misguided relationship they had shared was no longer worth what she felt like she was paying. She had let him make her a kept woman for long enough. It was what she had needed in the beginning, coming out of one con and starting another was the only way she had ever known how to survive. In a way she had kept that mentality with this arrangement. Bryce was the mark, she needed his money and she gave him what he wanted in order to get that. Somewhere along the way she had just let her feelings get in the way and it had given him the upper hand. She was keenly aware that she had lost control of Bryce a long time ago, but even more so she was aware of why and it scared her. She had lost her edge because for the first time in her life she was looking for something real. The more she looked at it from the outside the more she realized that her dad would have been giving her a whole ration of "I told you so" right now. The mere thought of her father made her cringe.

3 years ago

"Sarah! You have to do this! We need this score to fund the rest of the year, you know this!" Jack angrily chided his daughter as she stood in front of him in her graduation robes.

"I know Dad. I know." Sarah said as she stared at the ground, careful not to make eye contact with her already angry father. "I just thought maybe today I could enjoy my graduation. You know, the one that I worked really hard for." She said somewhat snippy.

"There will be plenty of time for that later Darlin'. Right now I need you at that booth, charming that geeky treasurer so I can get that donation money right out of his Ivy League little hands…go now and I will be right behind you…then we can meet back up later at the hotel and celebrate!" Jack said with a smile and loving fist bump to her chin. She sadly turned around and made her way to the charity booth her father had marked and began chatting with the young man who sat in front of it with his laptop. As the young man stared at her chest and talked excitedly about game he was currently playing, she watched her father easily come up behind the young man and grab the cash box and empty it in to his briefcase he had been carrying. Her stomach dropped and for the first time she realized not only could she not do this anymore, but she actually had the means to stop doing it. She had a degree, something she had earned. This degree was not a con, this was real, and it was something that couldn't be taken away from her. She smiled at the geek and reached out to touch his hand. His overly excited ramblings stopped and he looked at her hand on his. She just smiled some more, patted his hand and turned and walked away, vowing to herself that he was the last mark she would ever play for her father.

She walked around the school grounds slowly, taking in the sights and the smells for the last time, knowing that tomorrow she was officially no longer a student. As she walked she wondered in to a group of booths that had been sat up in a small area of the quad, career placement booths. She was still in her own little world when a young blue eyed executive awoke her from her daydreaming.

"Miss?" he said tentatively, reaching his hand out to her with an alarmingly sexy smile beaming from his model like façade. He got her attention and she stopped, shaking his aforementioned hand and smiling back. His booth was covered in the logo "Larkin Incorporated" and she briefly wondered what kind of company it was, she had never heard of it.

"Hello sir, er…Mr.?" Sarah fished for more information from this dashing young man.

"Mr. Larkin…Bryce actually. And you are?" The suave young man answered her quickly, never hesitating.

"Sarah, Sarah Walker." She answered politely.

"Ah, Ms. Walker. I am truly pleased to meet you! Congratulations on your graduation today. All Harvard certified now and many amazing opportunities pouring at your feet I'm sure." Bryce continued the conversation, joking with her and never loosing eye contact with her.

"Well…Bryce…I hadn't really thought about it actually. It's a little overwhelming at the moment, everyone wants something from you, ya know?" Sarah said cautiously, but she was entirely intrigued with this man that was able to hold a conversation with her and not her breasts.

"Indeed I do Sarah. I would be lying if I wasn't honest and admitted I would like something from you as well." Bryce suddenly dropped into a faux serious tone, mischief still gleaming in his eyes. "I think that I might like to have your company for dinner tonight, if you would be so inclined to give me that honor that is."

Sarah just stared at this young man. She thought about her father and the fact that he would be expecting her to return to the hotel shortly so they could make their escape to the next town before the money they had swindled was found out. She thought about the past 4 years she had fought with her father to stay here and finish her degree, only convincing him by promising as soon as she was done she would move on with him to the next town and the next job. This man sat in front of her and promised her something real, a dinner without a sub plot. A conversation without an ulterior motive on her part, a real connection with someone. She wanted that more than anything right now and was surprised when she heard herself answering his proposal with ease.

"I would love to Bryce."

His smile became even bigger and reached his eyes with her response and she immediately felt her insides warm up. "Let me get my coat. I think we were done here today anyway!" He said as he began closing things up in the booth. He jumped around the corner while slipping his coat on and placed his elbow out for her to hold as they walked off campus and towards his car.

They had an amazing dinner at some restaurant she had only heard of previously. He had talked about his company and himself quite a bit. Sarah decided she was ok with that, it kept her from having to talk too much about herself. She listened and she observed him throughout the night, and a plan formed in her mind as the time ticked away. Half way through the night she had noticed many things and as much as she didn't want to she found herself slipping in to the role of a con artist all over again. She knew from watching his movements that this was a usual routine for him, this dinner was either identical or closely similar to many dinners he had hosted over the years. She assumed it was primarily women he did this with though she wouldn't put it past someone of his … talents, to not use it on men for business as well. She could see the tan line on his left ring finger, so he was either newly divorced or sans ring for the occasion. He was a con artist just like she was, he just was apparently not against "shitting where he ate" so to speak. She decided she could use this to her advantage eventually and allowed the date to continue. She never made it to the hotel where her father was that night. She went with Bryce to his apartment and spent the night taking out all of her frustration and tension on one very married, and very enthusiastic executive named Bryce Larkin.

That night came and went as did many others that followed. She had never left the apartment after the first night, Bryce insisted she stayed when she had had a moment of honesty about her father and explained she was now basically homeless. He not only allowed her to live in his apartment but he offered her a job, which she quickly took. She got her occasional physical desires met, had a beautiful loft apartment to spend her nights in, and a job that she absolutely adored and was rather good at. She had carved out a nice safe ledge for herself through Bryce and never bothered to look back.

Until now. She thought to herself as she gathered her briefcase, phone, and keys and headed for the parking garage. Her Porsche gleamed in the well lit garage as she hit her keyless entry and climbed in as gracefully as she could with her pencil skirt. This was the only thing she had allowed herself since she started this job. It was her perk, her one concession she gave herself that made it obvious how much Bryce had been paying her over the years. This car was her baby, she took better care of it than she did herself most days. It was hers; it had absolutely nothing to do with anyone else. She had earned it fair and square, bought and paid for and it was completely legal. It was the first and only thing she had ever had like that and to her it was what stood her apart from her father. This was her beacon of light out of the life of the con. This rather expensive token was a symbol of her ability to be a normal law abiding citizen with a fancy degree and a good paying job. It was a beginning for her; it was something she could look at every day to remind herself that she was better off without her father.