Building Rome 2/?
Author: dettiot
Rating: T
Summary: Nine months after making the decision that changed his life, Chuck is coping with an Intersect that is a work-in-progress. Sarah is learning how to balance her spy life and her personal life for the first time. But when the first rule of spying is never fall in love, how will their relationship stand the pressure? Sequel to Discovering Omaha.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: The reaction to the first chapter of this story knocked my socks off. Thank you so much! In this chapter, we're going to see what Sarah is thinking about the changes in her life. I hope you enjoy!
XXX
No one ever considered all the paperwork that came with espionage, Sarah mused as she finished reading another report. Most people thought being a spy was all car chases and gunfights in exotic locations. And it was that, some of the time. But the majority of her life as a spy was sitting in drab office buildings, reading paperwork and developing strategies. Luckily for her, on this assignment she got a great view while she read through intelligence reports. And she didn't just mean the landscape.
She set the latest briefing on Fulcrum on top of the small stack of finished reports to her left, then looked at the tall stack to her right and sighed. Pushing back from her desk, she rolled her head and stretched, trying to work out the kinks.
Chuck, at his desk next to hers, looked at her and smiled. "Slow going?"
She nodded, lifting her arms over her head. "Yeah. I thought I knew all there was to know about Fulcrum, but clearly I've just discovered the tip of the iceberg." She gestured towards the stack of files still awaiting her perusal.
He grinned at her. "Tell me about it." Chuck turned back to the reports on his desk, immediately getting lost in them.
It was something she still marveled at: how focused Chuck could be. He was a sponge for knowledge, soaking up random details that both she and Casey missed. It didn't seem to be something the Intersect had created in him. Even during Omaha training, she'd seen how quickly he could learn. Now that she spent every day with him, she could see just how smart he was. Although lately their missions were unsuccessful, she couldn't blame Chuck's analysis, because she usually agreed with his findings. And it wasn't about because he was her boyfriend, but because she thought he was right.
Sarah rested her chin in her hand, propping her elbow on her desk, and watched him. Chuck would always be the first person to knock his looks, pointing out his gangly arms and legs, his wildly out-of-control hair, and the nose that he thought was too big. And it was true, he didn't look like the typical CIA agent.
But Sarah thought his other features more than compensated for any asymmetrical ones. His height and his physique was impressive, especially with the way he kept adding muscle to his frame. His warm brown eyes and big smile never failed to make her smile back at him. And she loved looking at his hands. She couldn't explain it, but watching his fingers fly over a touchscreen or feeling his hand wrapped around hers always made her feel good.
He was the reason that this assignment kept exciting her, kept challenging her. She used to think these kinds of long-term assignments would be boring, that she'd lose interest and feel trapped in one place. But these months with Chuck made her realize that working undercover, a different city every day, would be the easy path. She knew how to live that kind of life, thanks to her childhood of moving around and performing cons with her father. Working in deep cover had seemed like a natural progression for her-only now she'd be on the right side of the law. But she knew now that deep cover wouldn't have challenged herself, pushing her to see just what she could do.
And the best part was, this team could be a blockbuster. Casey was a bit gruff, certainly. But he was an amazing sharpshooter, and had already taught her a few things that had helped the entire team. Chuck of course had the mind of an analyst with the improving physical skills of a field agent. And she brought quick instincts and expert hand-to-hand combat training to the table. If they could just get past this rough patch, she knew that Fulcrum didn't stand a chance against them.
Chuck glanced at her and smiled softly, then turned back to his paperwork. Sarah took a deep breath and rolled her chair up to her desk, grabbing the next report. But instead of reading, her eyes just stared at the page.
Happiness used to be a fleeting emotion for her. A scoop of rocky road ice cream, leaving a town where she hadn't fit in. She had thought that with her upbringing, the most she could hope for in her life was satisfaction she was doing her job, serving her country. But happiness didn't seem to be in the cards for her, she had thought.
She was happy now. She was living in Rome, surrounded by beauty and staying in a luxurious villa. She was working on the most intriguing puzzle she'd ever tackled as a CIA agent, working with the best of the best, provided with all the equipment they needed. She was slowly figuring out more about what she liked and enjoyed doing, learning how to be more than just a spy, even if she was taking baby steps so far.
And she had Chuck. This sweet, quirkily handsome, total genius of a man cared about her. He saw good things in her. Not because she was beautiful, or because she was a good spy. Chuck cared, and she still wasn't sure what he saw in her, but she didn't want to lose him.
This was her first real relationship. And she didn't want to screw things up, not when she knew how much she could lose. Keeping their relationship under the radar was the smart thing to do. Not just because it could interfere with the team dynamics if they were kissing all over the villa, but because while the CIA turned a blind eye towards partners becoming involved, the official rules stated that agents couldn't have emotional connections. Sex was one thing. Love was something very different.
Sarah swallowed. Her relationship with Chuck was private, something she wanted to keep to herself. When two agents got together, it was always the female one who was the subject of gossip and jokes. Who got a reputation that followed her for the rest of her career. She'd worked too hard, given up too much, to let that happen to her.
The CIA had taken a seventeen-year-old girl and turned her into an agent, but in exchange she'd given them everything. At the time, it had seemed like a bargain. But now, at nearly twenty-three, she realized that she had sold herself short. She wanted something in her life that didn't have to be about spying or secrets. And if to get that she had to keep the depth of her feelings secret, she'd make that sacrifice. Staying with Chuck, both as his girlfriend and his partner, was worth giving up small things like sharing a bedroom. Especially since those things made her feel a bit nervous.
Chuck was sweet and affectionate and open. So open with his emotions and his smiles, not to mention all the romantic things he said. She wasn't like that. She couldn't just say what she was feeling or thinking, not when she'd spent most of her life being what people wanted by hiding her real self. The perfect accessory to a con or the perfect spy: that was what she knew, and getting over those habits was difficult.
But she was changing, she knew. She was learning how to let her guard down with the people she trusted. And Chuck was one of those people. She felt a small smile form on her face. All those months ago, when she had opened a folder and seen his picture clipped to paperwork about another Project Omaha recruit, she hadn't expected that he'd become so important to her. So even when she got that jittery feeling that made her want to run because he was getting too close, she worked past it. Because he was teaching her that being together was better than being alone.
She glanced at Chuck one more time, then squared her shoulders and made herself focus. There would be plenty of time later to think about how wonderful her boyfriend was. She leaned in closer to her paperwork, hoping she could hide her blush, and started reading.
XXX
With a frown, Sarah looked around her bedroom, marveling at how every flat surface was covered with the contents of her closet. All her serenity and determination had faded as she confronted a serious problem: what to pack for her vacation with Chuck.
If it had been just the two of them, she'd know what to do. Into her suitcase would go her best lingerie, a variety of bikinis, a few dresses that featured a short skirt, no back or a low neckline, very high heels, and some tight pants and dressy tops. Easy and done: the perfect wardrobe for a romantic vacation with her boyfriend.
But it wasn't just about the two of them. It was about meeting his family. And Sarah Walker had never, ever met the family of someone she knew. She'd never had friends who invited her over to their houses. For that matter, she'd never had a date who met her father. Not that she wanted that to happen with Chuck; she still hadn't revealed many details about how she had grown up, and telling him about her father was something she had to work up to.
Looking around the room, she took a breath and started sorting her clothes, preparing to put them back in her closet. As she went, she looked at each piece of clothing and evaluated whether she should pack it. What did someone wear to meet their boyfriend's family? Even though she wouldn't be meeting his parents, it was just as nerve-wracking to meet Chuck's sister and his best friend.
Chuck set a high regard on Ellie's opinion. They were incredibly close, with emails flying back and forth between them and weekly phone calls. Even though Chuck couldn't tell Ellie any details about his life, he still managed to have long, in-depth conversations about what he was feeling and thinking. And he listened even more than he talked, hearing all about his sister's life and her boyfriend and her work.
Sarah didn't have much experience, but Chuck seemed like a good brother. And Sarah wanted Ellie to have a good opinion of her. She didn't want to disappoint Chuck or make him feel like he was torn between his sister and his girlfriend. She wanted to make it clear just how much she cared about Ellie's brother. But she wasn't sure how to do that. She'd tried to figure out what to do, but secretly Googling "meeting your boyfriend's family" hadn't made things any clearer, though.
She sighed in frustration and pushed aside a stack of pants to sit down on her bed. At least there was advice on meeting your significant other's family. But meeting his best friend? That was even more confusing. Morgan had been Chuck's best friend since kindergarten. He'd seen Chuck through so many moments in his life, good and bad, while she'd known Chuck for barely a year.
Chuck had already warned her that Morgan hadn't reacted well when Chuck had brought his college girlfriend home. Sarah hadn't really understood what Chuck meant, though. Was Morgan jealous of losing time with his best friend? Did he think Chuck deserved better than Jill? Or was it something less pleasant, like Morgan secretly being in love with Chuck?
The nerves that were making her stomach clench suddenly became too much for her. Even though her room was still a mess, she had to leave and find some way to work out her frustration. And in the basement of the villa, there was a room designed to eliminate frustration.
Within fifteen minutes, Sarah had on goggles and ear protectors. She stood with her arms extended as she sighted along the barrel of her gun, then let off a series of shots. As she fired, she started to feel more in control, more focused. It took three rounds of target shooting, but when she finished, her mind was clear.
Chuck wasn't worried about Sarah making a good impression on his family. He was worried about whether she would like them and if they would like her in return. She'd never had friends and now Chuck was giving her the chance to make some. Ellie and Morgan had no reason to try and sabotage her relationship with Chuck; he had said that Ellie had pushed him to talk to Sarah, to ask her out, long before he was ready to tell Sarah about his feelings for her. So maybe, just maybe, this visit would work out. She'd act like herself, as much as she knew who that was, and she'd get to know Chuck's family. It would work out.
Sarah set down her gun and pressed the button to bring forward her last target. She pulled it down and examined it closely as she pulled off her ear protectors.
"Not bad."
It took all her training not to jump at the sound of Casey's voice. For a man of his size, and a NSA agent to boot, he could be very stealthy.
"Thanks," she said, looking at him curiously. Casey was hard to impress, especially when it came to marksmanship.
He stepped into the booth next to hers and set down a wide variety of weaponry on the counter before him. "Meeting the parents got you itchy?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow and Casey grunted. "Like I don't know you're goin' to meet Bartowski's family."
The NSA was a bit more lax than the CIA when it came to agent fraternization, Sarah knew. But just as she was familiar with the NSA guidelines, Casey knew the CIA's. He knew that as long as they didn't flaunt their relationship or let it affect their work, the CIA would turn a blind eye. Technically, however, they were still breaking the rules by having an actual relationship and Casey would be within his rights to report them to their superiors.
She supposed that Casey had automatically assumed that they were going on vacation together, since they put in their leave requests for the same period. Hopefully, the CIA would consider it a coincidence, and since she had taken precautions when she had booked their airline tickets, there wasn't any evidence that they were taking the same flights. But she didn't know how Casey had guessed what they would be doing on their time off.
"Actually, it's his sister and his best friend," Sarah said, starting to clean her gun to give her hands something to do. "Neither of Chuck's parents are in the picture."
"Yeah, so I heard," Casey said. He glanced at her, his eyes measuring her up. "You two screw up, I'm gonna have to send word up the chain."
"I know, but we're not going to screw up," Sarah said firmly.
Casey snorted. "Everyone talks and everyone in a relationship screws up."
"Not everyone," Sarah protested. "There's the Turners."
"They've been divorced twice already," Casey retorted.
Sarah wracked her brain, pausing in the midst of reassembling her gun. "Beckman and Montgomery?"
"These are the best examples you can come up with?" Casey asked, smirking. "Not givin' you and Bartowski much hope, huh?"
She slid the last piece of her gun in place and shoved it in the back of her jeans. "I shouldn't even be talking to you about this, but . . . we've only been dating for a short while and with our jobs, it's best to take things slow."
"Right," Casey said, drawing out the word. "Slow. By meeting his sister, the one he thinks the sun rises and sets on."
Letting herself get baited into an argument with Casey, more than she already had, would be a bad idea. Sarah lifted her chin. "I have work to do. Enjoy your target practice." She turned on her heel and stalked out of the shooting range, determined to put plenty of space between herself and Casey.
XXX
The few days remaining until their trip passed quickly for Sarah. She focused on getting caught up on her paperwork and reading as many reports as she could, gaining as much intel as she could about Fulcrum.
The more she found out about the organization, the more concerned Sarah got. Not just because it was a terrorist group made up of rogue intelligence agents, or because it had gotten the better of the CIA too often over the last six months. No, what worried her the most was their goal: to create an Intersect of their own.
How Fulcrum learned about the Intersect was one of the things that the CIA was focusing on. It wasn't surprising to Sarah. The vast number of people who were aware of the Intersect had always seemed dangerous. It wasn't just the agents and the scientists within the CIA and the NSA that knew about the Intersect; there had been so many candidates at Project Omaha, and with that many smart, ambitious people, rumors and gossip about the reason for this special training course were rampant. Even within organizations like the CIA and NSA that prided themselves on secrecy and obedience, it was too likely that information about the Intersect would fall into the wrong hands.
Over the last six months, Fulcrum had quickly become the primary target for most intelligence organizations. But since so little was known about the terrorists, the CIA had found themselves behind the eight ball. Meanwhile, Director Graham and the rest of the higher-ups had taken the exact wrong approach to this problem, in Sarah's opinion. Rather than mobilizing and learning all they could about Fulcrum, they were trying to determine just what agents had turned, and what they had told Fulcrum about the Intersect.
It was important to figure that out, Sarah knew. But if they could find Fulcrum and eliminate them, the key figures would be revealed. She'd strongly argued this point with Graham in a private conference call only for him to bite her head off. So she'd chosen to research a different angle: learning all she could about the Intersect.
If Sarah was honest with herself, she had to admit that she had a personal reason to focus on this issue. Knowing almost nothing about the experiments on Chuck's brain made her feel particularly paranoid. How could they relax, never knowing if the Intersect would take over Chuck and make him into someone he wasn't? Just how trustworthy were the people working on the Intersect? The CIA had upgraded the Intersect once, providing updates on the intelligence files stored in Chuck's head. Fulcrum had already easily learned about the Intersect and seen its advantages; what was to stop them from attempting to sabotage the only current human Intersect?
A stabbing pain in her hand made Sarah realize she was squeezing the mouse with all her strength. She let go and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her hand ruefully.
Casey would say she was going soft: getting all gooey over her boyfriend getting hurt. And yes, that was feeding her worries. But more than that, she didn't want to have to fight a Fulcrum that had their own Intersect, not when they could have been stopped.
If she was a pessimistic person, she would say it was just a matter of time until Fulcrum had a working Intersect. They clearly had gained too much knowledge to be discouraged by any initial failures. They were going to create their own Intersect. Sarah was hoping that wasn't true, hoping that Fulcrum would make some mistake that would destroy them, but she felt disheartened when she considered how far they had come in just a few months and how little had been done to stop them.
"Sarah? Hey, Sarah?"
"In here, Chuck!" she called out softly, leaning around the computer monitor that blocked her from view.
Chuck smiled widely at her and walked over to the computer station, perching gingerly on the edge of the desk. "You know, I think we're officially on vacation now. It's after five o'clock."
"I know," she said, giving him a smile in return as she started cleaning up her desk and shutting down her computer. "Just making sure everything's done before we leave."
"Casey will be holding down the fort. He'll probably be happy that we're not here, with all our 'lady feelings'," Chuck said breezily.
Sarah chuckled. "You do know he lumps you in as someone with lady feelings, right?"
"Yep, but I don't mind." His leg was bouncing like a Mexican jumping bean.
She glanced at his leg, then up at him. "Excited?" She stood up, sliding some papers into various file folders.
"I sure am," he said, reaching out and wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm going on vacation with you."
Sarah looked at him, soaking up his wide-eyed happiness. She'd noticed over the last day or so that Chuck had been much more tactile than normal, often reaching out to hold her hand or touch her back. Even in the offices, where he normally behaved very professionally, he'd not passed up opportunities to touch her.
It would seem he had been getting into a vacation mood as their trip approached. It was adorable. And she liked when he touched her. But it did make it hard for her to think about missions and Fulcrum and stopping terrorists.
Letting the folders drop to the desk, she moved closer to him, sliding an arm around his neck. "I'm looking forward to vacation, too."
He smiled back happily and kissed her softly. "Then stop working. Our plane leaves first thing tomorrow morning, and you still haven't finished packing."
"And how do you know that, Agent Bartowski?" she asked him, leaning into him and gazing up at him. She gave him a slow smile. "Have you been going through my suitcase?"
Chuck swallowed, his ears turning red. "N-no . . . I just noticed that your suitcase, it was lying open on the floor of your room, and I only saw that because you hadn't closed the door to your room all the way and I couldn't help noticing . . ."
Sarah pressed her face against his neck, trying to hide her soft laughter. "Breathe, Chuck," she said.
"Oh," he said, the tension flowing out of him. "You're not really mad at me."
She looked up at him and shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at you. You're right, actually; I do need to finish packing."
"Do you need any help with that?" he asked, smiling softly at her. "I mean, it's video game night with Morgan, but I can skip it since I'll be seeing him in twenty-four hours."
That smile of his, the shy, sweet one, was going to be the death of her someday, she thought. But because she was Sarah Walker, CIA agent, and not a teenage girl, she held back the sigh and blush and just smiled back at him.
"No, I'll be fine," she said, quickly kissing his cheek before stepping away from him. "Go enjoy your video games."
He grinned at her, backing up towards the stairs to the main floor of the villa. "Just wait until you see me and Morgan playing in the same room. You'll regret encouraging video game night then."
She just grinned at him until he climbed up the stairs and disappeared from her view. She took the time to sort the files, making them easily accessible to Casey while they were gone, and then she headed up the stairs to her own room to finish packing.
There were still some final clothes decisions to make, not to mention picking the book she'd take with her. Chuck had encouraged her to read more for pleasure, but so far she hadn't really found a style or author she really liked. But the exploration was fun, and she was hoping that this vacation would give her more time for fun.
At that thought, Sarah couldn't help smiling. A spy, thinking about fun that didn't involve missions or weapons. Maybe she had changed more than she thought.
XXX
Chuck had spent the last hour of their flight to Los Angeles practically bouncing in his seat, not to mention talking a mile a minute. She didn't know where he was getting all this energy, because while she had slept some on the flight from Rome to D.C., he had told her he hadn't gotten any rest.
Their layover in D.C. was to help them adjust to the jet lag and eliminate any possible suspicions in Chuck's family, since Ellie and Morgan thought they worked on the East Coast. With six hours to kill, Chuck had persuaded her to go to the Air & Space Museum's newly-opened annex, located near Dulles Airport. Although she had her pilot's license, flying was more a means to an ends for Sarah. Chuck, however, was completely enthralled by the aircraft at the museum, rattling off facts and figures the whole time.
"Did you get those from the Intersect?" she whispered to him as he was explaining just what made the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird the fastest jet ever.
Chuck shook his head and grinned at her. "Nope. I just like planes."
Sarah smiled back and made a mental note to look into renting a plane and taking him flying on his next birthday.
Now that they were nearly to LAX, though, Chuck seemed ready to burst with excitement. She reached out and took his hand, holding it tightly. Her movement cut him off mid-word and he turned to look at her.
"Sarah? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, smiling at him. "I'm just worried that you're going to fall asleep ten minutes after we get there, once all the adrenaline wears off."
Chuck laughed. "Nah, I'll get some Red Bull and be fine."
"I don't know how you can drink that stuff," Sarah said, wrinkling her nose.
"Because it keeps you awake," Chuck said, kissing the bridge of her nose.
This was a side of Chuck she'd never seen before. Silly, charming, romantic. Not that he wasn't any of those things normally, but it was like he had turned up the volume on those traits. With a big smile, she pushed up the armrest and cuddled against his side.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How are you doing?"
"I got some sleep earlier. I'm okay."
"I'm not talking about that," Chuck said. "You're not . . . I know you're Sarah Walker and you're awesome, but you're not feeling nervous, are you?"
She took a deep breath. "I . . . I just have never done this. Met the family of someone I'm involved with. And I know how important Ellie and Morgan are to you, so I don't want them to not like me."
"They're gonna love you, Sarah," Chuck said, his eyes full of sincerity as he gazed at her. "I've done nothing but talk about you and they can't wait to meet you."
It was remarkable, how a few words from him could put her fears at ease and make everything seem okay. She gazed at him and then smiled slowly at him.
"Are you sure? Maybe they just said that to make you stop talking about me."
He laughed. "Believe me, they're not that polite. Especially not Morgan."
"I'll guess I'll see that for myself soon," Sarah said, resting a hand on his knee.
Chuck smiled so widely, there were crinkles at the corner of his eyes. "Yeah, you will."
The engines of the plane changed pitch, causing Sarah to look up. "We're getting ready to land." She pulled away from Chuck and pushed down the armrest.
"That's pretty impressive, knowing that from the sound of the engines," Chuck said as he tightened his seat belt.
Sarah shrugged and smiled at him, then reached out and held his hand through landing. The feel of his hand helped keep her mind from going through a sequence of worst-case scenarios, beginning with Ellie and Morgan both hating her at first sight and going all the way to one of them being an enemy agent that she'd have to take out.
By the time the plane had reached the gate, Sarah had pushed aside those worries and focused on Chuck. Being this close to his family had made his energy level skyrocket, which should be impossible given how wound up he was. She had a sudden understanding why women with toddlers always looked so exhausted. She was also grateful that her legs were long enough to keep up with Chuck as he hurried through the terminal.
"Ellie said they'd meet us at baggage claim," Chuck said, weaving his way through the crowds onto a down escalator.
She nodded and kept holding his hand. "Right."
He threw her a quick, bright smile before stepping off the escalator, his head moving back and forth quickly as he looked around. Suddenly, there was a loud whoop, and a woman with long brown hair threw herself at Chuck.
Sarah tensed for a moment, until the woman's resemblance to Chuck made her realize that this must be Ellie Bartowski.
"Chuck!" the woman repeated, hugging him tightly. "Oh, it's good to see you."
Chuck hugged his sister, closing his eyes for a moment. "You, too, El." The tenderness in his voice made Sarah's heart skip a beat.
Ellie pulled back and looked him over, her eyes sweeping over him. "Wow, you've been working out! You could give Devon a run for his money."
He laughed. "Nah, I doubt that." Chuck turned and held his hand out towards a tall, blond man who looked like a catalog model. "It's good to see you, Devon."
"Chuckster!" the man boomed, taking Chuck's hand and pulling him into a hug. "It's been too long." Devon patted Chuck's back and Sarah couldn't help grinning.
Ellie turned to Sarah and smiled. "My boyfriend's the affectionate type. I'm Ellie-you must be Sarah!"
Sarah took a deep breath, then fixed a smile on her face. "I am. It's so great to finally meet you, Ellie, after hearing so much about you."
Although Ellie had green eyes and straight hair to Chuck's brown eyes and curls, there was no mistaking that she was his sister. The way her smile widened, just like Chuck's, was proof enough for Sarah.
Ellie gave her a quick hug. "Believe me, all Chuck does is talk about you. I'm so glad I told him to make a move on you."
She couldn't help laughing softly at Ellie's quip. "I guess you don't let him forget that."
With a grin, Ellie pulled back. "Nope. That's what big sisters are for."
"I'm an only child, so I'll take your word for it," Sarah said, feeling more at ease. Like Chuck, Ellie had the natural ability to make people feel at ease.
Chuck was looking around. "Where's Morgan?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Chuck," Ellie said, her voice not sounding all that regretful. "He had to work, but he'll be meeting us at the apartment."
"Morgan, work?" Chuck asked, sounding equal parts amused and surprised.
Devon slung an arm around Ellie's shoulders. "The little bearded man is making his contribution to society."
"Please tell me there isn't a bright orange jumpsuit involved," Chuck said.
Ellie laughed. "Try a green shirt. He's working at the Buy More."
Chuck's face brightened. "Oh, yeah? Good for him! Nice to see he's dealing with being fired by Underpants, Etc. And now I know who to talk to about new gaming equipment."
"You're not gonna spend another trip home playing video games with Morgan," Ellie said firmly.
He rolled his eyes and grinned at her. "Of course not, El. I've got Sarah." Chuck looked at her and smiled, then held his hand out to her. She took it and smiled back at him.
"So this is the mystery woman!" Devon said, smiling at her.
Sarah nodded and shook Devon's hand, who immediately started talking about getting Chuck and Sarah to join him on a ten-mile hike while they were visiting. Ellie started lobbying for a chance to go shopping with Sarah and for all of them to have a double date one night.
To think she had been worrying about this, she thought as she listened to Chuck talk with his sister and her boyfriend. If first impressions were accurate, Ellie and Devon were two of the nicest, warmest, most engaging people she had ever met. Normally, this would make her feel like there was bound to be something wrong, but she didn't get that sense from them at all.
Maybe this visit would work out even better than she had hoped.
End, Chapter 2