This is a take on what could happen in the upcoming story arc where an MI6 agent catches Sarah's eye. My goal is to write a streamlined little piece (at least for me) and to"play nice" with the TV series. In other words, this won't be a fluff fanfic where Chuck and Sarah live happily ever after in the end. That doesn't mean there won't be any Charah; just that it will be limited to what I would consider to be realistic for the show.

The show will use two episodes in the MI6 arc. I will pretty much break the storyline into two distinct parts, but the show plans to weave in enough Buy More plots and Devon/Ellie to fill two hours of TV time. I'm not going to worry much about the side plots, because I really want to finish this quickly, given the approach of the episodes.

I'll need to add a couple of caveats.

I've made limited use of spoilers (pretty much just the episode descriptions), so I'll have to make a best guess. It may not end up fitting all that well, but hopefully it will stand up on its own merits.

I made a stab at the first episode in the arc (Chuck vs the Beefcake), but I'm pretty much ignoring the actual plot of the second episode (Chuck vs the Lethal Weapon). I read the description and just was uninspired to write that particular episode. I am, however, interested in exploring what Chuck and Sarah might go through, so I'm substituting my own second episode.

One last thing: originally, Chuck vs the Suburbs was supposed to come before Chuck vs the Beefcake, but NBC rearranged the episodes. This one is designed to come after Chuck vs the Suburbs.

Enjoy!

Chuck let out an enormous but quiet yawn as he emerged from his bedroom. He scratched his stomach through his dark-blue-and-red flannel pajamas as he wandered through the apartment into the kitchen.

"Morning, Chuckster!" Devon greeted him energetically.

Chuck gave a Casey-like grunt in response. He had been up much of the night, his mind ping-ponging between the perfect morning he and Sarah had spent in the suburbs and the way Sarah had declined his suggestion that they house-sit for another day or two. Seeing how things could be and then having it cruelly snatched away â€Ĥ it was just unfair.

So was needing to brush by Captain Awesome in his skin-tight T-shirt and even tighter biker shorts to get into the kitchen. The man's skin glistened in the afterglow of his morning ride. If Chuck could have found the energy, he would have shuddered.

"Good morning," Ellie said, breezing in from her room. She wore a downy blue robe carelessly open in the front, revealing her own white T-shirt and a pair of casual pajama pants.

He pulled down a box of cereal and went searching for a bowl. The awakened portion of his mind grumpily reflected on the overabundance of cheer in the room. Chuck could only muster enough strength to grunt a greeting when his sister kissed him on the temple as the two passed each other.

Having gathered everything he needed, he went and sat at the breakfast table. He was about to pour his cereal when noises from the kitchen distracted him.

Devon and Ellie were flirting in the kitchen, making cute little small talk as they went about their morning routine. The way they so comfortably went about things reminded him of his morning with Sarah and brought a lump to his throat.

Chuck didn't realize he was staring until his sister glanced over, sensing his eyes. He guiltily went back to his cereal.

Ellie whispered something to Devon, her eyes focused on her brother. Devon nodded, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and grabbed the tall glass with his morning smoothie on his way back to their room.

She came over and sat down next to Chuck. "Sarah?" she asked rhetorically.

Chuck didn't have a good answer at the ready. He found himself in the same situation for the umpteenth time, needing to defend the status quo of his relationship for the sake of the cover. Still, this particular morning it was difficult to find the passion to defend things. "Seeing you and Devon together is tough sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy for you two and I'm ecstatic that he makes you so happy. It's just, given where things are between Sarah and me..."

Ellie just nodded understandingly.

He stirred his cereal with his spoon, giving him an excuse to look away. "I just don't think that Sarah and I will ever have that kind of happiness."

She searched his face with her eyes. "Chuck, you told me that you and Sarah are never going to be more than you are right now."

"That's right."

"If you really feel that way, you need to think about breaking up with her."

"Ellie, I can't–"

"I know it's hard, Chuck. It's hard when you're in a place where you really like someone but you still know, in your heart, that it just isn't going to work. It's better for both of you if you go ahead and accept reality."

Reality. Chuck nearly laughed. Little in his life these days was based on reality, least of all his relationship with Sarah.

Ellie reached across and grabbed his hand. "The longer you two stay in a relationship that isn't going to work, the more you delude yourselves. You deserve better than that. So does Sarah."

The real problem with what Ellie was saying was that it made so much sense.

Chuck walked into the Orange Orange. Sarah looked up from some paperwork, her face instinctively lighting up in a smile before she realized something was wrong.

She knew what was coming; she could read it in his face. She knew what he would say before he opened his mouth. Still, she had to sit there and listen to it all. She had to listen to every last painful word – and, worst of all, she had to pretend that it was all OK.

Without preamble, he said, "I can't do this any more Sarah. You might be able to keep a cover relationship separate from a real one, but I can't. I keep falling into the same trap where I start to believe that maybe, somehow it's possible we can find a way have something."

She couldn't say anything. She didn't dare.

He continued, "I could tell you that I need this to end for the sake of the assignment, so that we could work together better, and on some level that's true. Still, I won't lie to you – I need the relationship to go away so the hope can go away with it. It hurts too much to hope for a future we'll never have."

Chuck wore the same expression that he had worn when she asked him for the fake wedding ring back. The lump in her throat made it hard to swallow. Deliberately keeping her face tight, she said as little as possible. "OK, Chuck. If that's what you want."

"It isn't what I want. It's just the only option left."

The mild comment stung like a lash. It was as close to accusatory as Chuck ever was. She managed to keep her face neutral. "Do me a favor and don't say anything to anyone yet. If Casey finds out, he'll tell Beckman, and I need some time to figure out a way to sell Beckman on a new cover."

Emotions danced across his face as he nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something else. Did he sense how much this hurt her as well? Part of her hoped not. Part of her hoped he did.

The urge to speak left him. With a solemn nod of thanks, he turned and left the shop. The cheap bell on the door tinkled tinnily as the door slammed shut.

Her face screwed up in pain. Chuck was wrong. It hurt far more not to have any hope of a future at all.