The hotel room smelled vaguely of mint. And that made her think of Bryce. Of course, there was never a time on this mission Sarah didn't think about Bryce. This whole thing with Chuck and Casey and California was all because Bryce had gone rogue. Because he had sent The Intersect to Chuck. Because Bryce had become a bad guy.

Only he hadn't.

And he had shown back up in her life again, kissed her, right there in Chuck's room no less, shot Chuck in the Buy More and asked her to come with him on his next assignment.

But for all the memories of excitement and adventure and danger that Bryce's kiss brought back, it was nothing compared to what she felt when she kissed Chuck.

And she had kissed him. There was no doubting it. She didn't want to die without knowing what it would be like to kiss him. To kiss sweet, adorable, geeky Chuck, and to be kissed back by him. And had he ever kissed back. He had roamed those nimble computer repairing fingers all over her body in those few seconds. Held her close, so, so close, and the memory of the kiss itself still made her shiver. The scent and taste of Chuck all around her had been permanently imprinted in her memory. Maybe part of the kiss standing out in her memory was because it was wrapped up in the fear that they might die that made it so good.

Only they hadn't died, and now it was awkward with Chuck. Chuck who left her fifty voice mail messages in a several day spread.

Chuck who would love her and not put her in danger if he could help it.

Chuck who had no clue about all the things that had happened in her past, things that only a few of her higher ups knew about.

Chuck, whom Bryce had saved from a life like his. And hers. A life where you never had any friends or really anyone you could depend on to be there for you and only you.

She sighed and moved across the worn carpet to look out the window of her hotel room. It's just another in a string of hotels she'd stayed in over the years. Bed, phone, secured perimeter. But not a home. Never a home for Sarah.

Only, she sort of had one now. With Chuck and Ellie, and even Awesome. It was nice to know there was somewhere safe and friendly for her. Even if it was someplace she and Casey had placed listening devices all over. Chuck and Ellie's place even smelled like home. There was always a lingering scent of food that someone in the house had cooked and clean sheets on the bed that didn't smell of industrial strength detergent. Ellie's love of soft scented candles and fragrant body wash made Sarah remember early childhood moments and the safety of having a family that loved you.

Her bags were packed and sitting on the bed. Whether she left with Bryce, leaving Chuck behind, or she went on a new assignment, she needed some time to get her head on straight about how she felt, about where she's headed with things. Bryce was her past; Chuck was her present, sort of. And the future? There was no telling what the future would hold for her. But thinking of leaving Chuck made her heart ache, so she looked along the street for possible sniper hiding spots in an effort to distract herself. The only thing she managed to distract herself into doing was writing SW + CB in the fogged up spot she'd made from standing too close to the chilled panes. She caught herself before she drew a heart around it and wiped the window clean.

She was expecting the hotel phone to ring. Bryce always called one last time with an offer. She wasn't expecting Chuck's call though. His face flashing on the ring, smiling up at her. So she stood there, in her hotel, torn between two men, two possibilities.

She just let both phones ring until they stopped. Sometimes no action was better than the wrong one.