A/N-Hello people. This is my first attempt at a Chuck fanfiction so bare with me. Fortunately, I think I have read enough to know what's going on, so here goes.

I guess you could say this is kind of AU, but i'm shooting for mid-season 2 for when Sarah left. Yes, Sarah left. And now she's back. Hence the name

Please read and review with any comments. Feedback would be nice. Have fun!

-Thatswhatyouget5

Here We Go Again

Sarah, 9:07 pm, Tuesday, Washington D.C:

This apartment is starting to get on my nerves. Not that I'm not grateful for the space that the CIA has provided me, it's just, I think that this is too much space. What is an agent going to do with a 2 bedroom apartment? It's not like I have a lot of personal belongings. That's a luxury I do not have due to the fact that I'm not in one place for more than a month at a time-mostly.

The few personal belongings I do have don't even fill up half the apartment. My clothes hang on the right side of my small walk-in closet. My luggage bags take up the left side and the rest. I have a laptop which sits on my desk all day, and a phone which sits in my pocket or my right hand all day.

Most of the things in my apartment, which are not a lot, are provided by the CIA. For instance my bed, the bed sheets, all of the furniture, and the food in my fridge. I know this is to make sure that I don't get "attached." This means I do not have any mementos, because mementos mean memories, and memories mean emotions. Agents can't afford to have emotions. It just screws everything up. I learned that the hard way.

I pace around my apartment, bored out of my mind. I haven't had an assignment in a month, and it's not like I have anyone to spend free time with. I guess it's kind of my fault that I haven't been active lately. I keep turning down requests. Mostly because all of the ones I get recommended to are long-term.

"Your long-term assignment log is outstanding," my bosses say.

I know exactly what assignments- or assignment they are referring to, but I'm never going on a long-term assignment again. You get emotionally attached to the people there, and then you have to leave- usually without a goodbye. That is more than my heavy heart can take. I also learned that the hard way.

My laptop starts ringing a familiar noise and it startles me out of my thoughts. I realize that this noise is the CIA contacting me. I open the laptop and watch as General Beckman's familiar face pops up on the screen.

"Walker, Secure," I answer as I sit down at my desk.

"Hello Agent Walker, we have a new assignment request for you," she says while she studies me and my room through the webcam. I notice that she looks slightly stressed, like she is about to give me news that I don't want to hear.

"Sure. Details?" I ask.

"Agent Walker, when I say that we have a new mission for you, I really mean that you are demanded to be the main agent on a certain mission. You see, it is either you or no one," she answers cautiously. I am starting to get worried now. What mission could I possibly be demanded at? I know I am recommended to be the main agent for a lot of missions, because I am one of the best in the business, but why demanded? And why is it either me or no one?

"So I have no say in whether I want to complete the mission or not?" I ask her nervously.

"Well, let's brief you first before we make any decisions." She says quickly. I nod my head to show her that I approve. She picks up a stack of papers on her desk, examines them, and then turns back to me.

"2 years ago, you were on a long-term assignment. This assignment was very successful. Actually Agent Walker, I believe it is one of the most successful long-term missions the CIA has ever encountered. Aside from the fact that you were proven to be compromised, the-"

"No." I stop her right there. Even from the mere two sentences of briefing she has given me, I already know I am declining the request. There is no way I am going back to California.

"Agent Walker, be rational," she starts in a disapproving tone, "Like I said, let me brief you before we make any decisions."

I stare at her for a moment, and then nod my head again.

"As I was saying, the team at Burbank had outstanding results. But as I hope you remember, the project was terminated due to a malfunction in the intersect."

Yes, I do remember General Beckman. In fact, I was the first one to find out the intersect was not working anymore, and that we were over. I want to tell her this, but I don't.

"Well it turns out, the malfunction in the intersect was actually some sort of computing error, and with time," she continues, "The malfunction corrected itself."

I shake my head in disbelief. "What are you saying?" I ask her in a weak voice.

"What I am saying Agent Walker, is that since everything is working fine with the intersect again, the CIA sees no reason why the project cannot continue again." She stops there, as if to give me time to digest the information.

She doesn't understand. Although the CIA sees no reason I cannot go back there, I see about a million reasons why I absolutely cannot go back there. I continue to stare at her with disbelief. How can they expect me to go back there? I had left without saying goodbye, or even giving Chuck the slightest bit of a hint that I would never see him again.

Chuck.

I cannot even think about him without getting butterflies in my stomach, or a horrible feeling of regret. He must hate me. In fact, I know he hates me. Because right before I left to board my plane back to DC, he saw me. The feeling of regret I have begins to worsen as I remember the moment.

Flashback

I am here waiting for my plane to board. This is horrible. I feel like I have a permanent grimace on my face. I know this because I have had several people come up to me and ask if I need anything. Of course, I look bad. Partly because it is 4:00 in the morning, but mostly because I am leaving the one place where I feel like I belong. Sometimes I hate the CIA.

I am an agent. Agents follow orders. I was ordered to leave California and report back to DC without any notice to the people I am involved with.

Yesterday was excruciating. I had to pretend everything was fine, when really, I was leaving the next day. I put extra effort into my conversations with Ellie and Awesome that day. They had become the best friends I never had. I even put effort into my "friendship" with Morgan. As much as I hate to admit, I will miss the little bearded guy. The worst part was acting normal around Chuck. I tried to remember everything about him that day. How he smiled at me, how I felt electricity whenever we touched, the way he smelled, the feeling of the animal shapes in his hair, everything. He had no idea that today was probably the last day I would ever see him, or that I was hopelessly compromised. I had never told him, and now I never will.

I hear the intercom announce that it is time for business class passengers to board, so I stand up along with the others, gather my things, and slowly make my way toward the gate.

"Sarah!" I hear my name being yelled. I turn around and see Chuck, being hassled airport security guards, refusing to allow him in here to talk to me. How did he find out I was here? I only told Casey we were to leave. I suddenly found an explanation when I saw Casey lingering behind him. He can't be here. I was told to have a clean break. I really don't think leaving with someone calling your name is a "clean break."

"Sarah!" I hear my name being called once more. And then I hear, "Final announcement for business class travelers," being called in the intercom.

I turn around, stare at him, then point to the gate. I have to make a decision quick.

I see him mouth the word, "stay," while continuing to resist the hassling the airport security guards are forcing him. I could kill the security guards right now. There is so much emotion in his eyes, like he is using his eyes to beg too, which only makes my decision harder. It's either A: be professional and leave while you can, or B: Screw the CIA. Follow your heart and don't think.

I don't think I can do either.

I look from the gate and back to Chuck several times. I am convinced the air hostess is angry at me because she is pointing to the gate with a scowl on her face.

It's then that I make my decision. I am an agent. Agents follow orders.

I force my legs to take steps into the gate, and then turn back to Chuck. The sight made me tear up. He had realized I wasn't going to stay, and then he just froze. He let himself be tackled by the security guards. He had given up.

I really hate the CIA now.

"Agent Walker? Agent Walker!" General Beckman's voice booms from the computer and disrupts me from the flashback.

"Yes. Sorry," I answer back, with my voice kind of shaky.

"Do you accept?" She looks at me with expecting eyes then continues, "Oh I forgot to mention that for Mr. Bartowski, it's either continue this mission or witness protection."

I say, "Okay," subconsciously because I cannot let Chuck go into witness protection.

I guess I am heading back to Burbank. Here We Go Again.