Only Two Options

Chapter One

"I'm sorry Sir, what was that?" I say hoping I misheard.

"Walker, I know this is outside protocol but we have an opportunity here that is worth breaking some minor rules for." Director Graham said.

"You want me to take Chuck back to my hometown…introduce him to my family as my fiancé while I spy on a business associate of my fathers. Sir, this is problematic for me in so many ways," I say and watch Director Graham's vein in his neck twitch as he silently regards me.

"Are you refusing to do this?" he finally asked.

"No sir, I'm just saying if there is another option I would appreciate us exploring it."

"No, this gives us the best opportunity for success and that's what we need to do. We need Chuck there in case he flashes on something and we need you there because this guy will not suspect the daughter of one of his business associates."

"Yes sir." My head is swimming. If only I had made that call yesterday. Now it's too late. Chuck is going to know my real name, my family. He will always have a way to get word to me. There is no way I will be able to just quietly slip away. No way that I can keep him out of my life…even if that's what I wanted.

I knew this would happen.

"Walker, you tell the intersect and we'll go over the mission parameters with Casey. He's strictly surveillance on this one?"

"Uh, sir, how do I introduce Chuck to my family? Should I use an alias or his real name? Does it even matter?"

"That's up to you Walker. This should be the last time they ever see him so it doesn't matter either way. Just use your own preference."

God, if I introduce him as an alias how do I bring him back later if we ever did manage to work this out.

Why did I think that? Surely Sarah you're not even thinking that is a possibility. And, if I introduce him as Chuck Bartowski, my fiancé, it's only going to embolden him further. My luck is that they are going to fall in love with him and push me to marry him before we leave! No, he's got to be Charles Carmichael. That's the only thing that makes sense.

"I'll let him know sir. When do we need to be in Portland?"

"ASAP Walker, I don't want to miss an opportunity. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir." I disconnect the call and begin to pace my room. I am shocked to realize that a part of me is thrilled at being able to introduce Chuck to my parents. But for the most part, I am scared shitless. On this mission I know that the downside is much greater than the upside. I hope we can get through this unscathed.

Oh well, I sigh, I better get this over with. Chuck's going to freak when he finds out that we're going to my parents for a visit. He'll need to arrange for some time off work which I'm sure the CIA will no doubt assist in.

I throw off my robe and start getting dressed. I decide on jeans and a top. Chuck loves this top. Shit, I almost change tops but decide that that would be juvenile.

As I walk down the steps of my apartment, I begin to daydream about seeing the look on my mother's face when she sees Chuck. She's been after me to get a boyfriend for years now. Wait till she hears I'm engaged. I know she will just die for Chuck.

Sarah…I stop and put my thumb and index finger to my brow as I dip my head trying to concentrate. I try to remove the ghost that is Chuck from haunting my mind. Something has to give I say to myself as I walk out of my apartment building and hop in the Porsche.

Oh shit, we are going to need a cover for Chuck. If I'm a big shot international banker, I doubt if my family will buy the fact that Chuck is a Nerd Herd Supervisor at a local Buy More. That's problematic because I doubt if Chuck can pull off a deceit of my folks. Bad guy's are one thing but my parents are all together a different story.

I have to give that some more thought. I would prefer that Chuck use a cover. At least I know that is what a good agent would do. I have a nagging suspicion in the back of my head that I might find a way to do something else.

I pull up to Ellie's apartment and walk across the courtyard to the front door. Just as I am about to knock, the door opens and there stands Ellie in her hospital greens.

"Sarah, what a nice surprise. Come in."

"I'm sorry to bother you Ellie but I knew it was Chuck's day off and I need to talk with him."

She smiles at me and holds up her left hand showing me the gorgeous wedding ring that Chuck and I sifted through garbage to find. God the look on her face. If I had never seen pure joy before I certainly have now. I couldn't help but break out in my biggest smile as well. Ellie's joy was completely irresistible.

"Sarah, I want to ask you now so you have plenty of time to prepare. Please tell me that you will be in my wedding?"

I am speechless. My hand goes up to twirl my hair around my finger and as hard as I try I can't bring my eyes to meet hers. I never saw this coming. I clear my throat stalling for time. "When is it Ellie?" I finally meet her gaze.

"We've not set a date yet…sometime next year. Please say you will? It just won't be the same if you're not in it."

"Of course I will, Ellie," I say recovering my senses. I hope to God that I will not disappoint her.

We share I moment of awkward silence and then I motion with my head towards Chuck's room.

"Yeah, sure go on in. I know he won't mind."

"Thanks Ellie, it means a lot to me for you to think of me like this."

"Sarah…nonsense, I think of you as family."

I hope my face does not betray the shock I feel. I guess it never dawned on me that Chuck wasn't the only person on this assignment that would come to love me. I don't know how to even start to think about how that makes me feel. Here is a woman, a fine woman full of life and love for everyone she meets, well except for Morgan. She has accepted me into her family and heart…asked me to participate in the most special day of her life. And then there's me… I can't really say if I'll be here next week.

It made me feel underhanded.

I say goodbye to Ellie and stop outside Chuck's door. I listen to see if he's up. Hearing nothing I open the door slightly. I see Chuck lying in his bed with his adorable hair all mussed up. He looks so lovable that all I want to do is get in bed with him and just squeeze him as tightly as I can.

I sit at the edge of his bed and without thinking I run my hand through his hair. God I love to run my hands through his hair. Then I notice…he's looking at me.

"Uh, Chuck. You need to wake up. I've got something to tell you," I say and watch a concerned look consume his face.

"What is it Sarah?" he says with a sleepy look still on his face quickly being replaced by concern.

I'm not sure what he's thinking but I suspect that it may have something to do with a reassignment. It then occurred to me that that possibility may play across his mind as much as it does mine.

"We've got a new mission." I say watching the relief spread across his features. "It is out of town and may take a week or even two," I say and shush his protests. "The CIA will take care of all the details with the Buy More. Don't worry about any of that."

He sits up straighter in bed. "Where are we going? What's the mission?"

OK Walker, I say to myself. If you are ever gonna pull this off you'd better get in the zone. I take a deep breath very slowly so he doesn't notice. "We're going to my family's house. My father has a business associate that I am going to investigate."

I watch as the information soaks into his brain. He can't contain the smile on his face. "You're kidding me right. This is a joke?"

"No joke Chuck. Get ready, you're going to meet my family."

He was so excited that he got out of bed, went to pull his pants on and then his shirt. It never occurred to him that he did all of that while standing in his underwear. Funny, I thought. I always had him pegged for a boxer man. The briefs he wore would give me something to think about on those nights when I couldn't sleep. That was almost every night.

"This is a CIA sanctioned operation, right?"

"Right, what else would it be?" I said before thinking. He had wondered if this was something that I had planned myself. This poor guy. He wants to be a part of my life…my real life so bad.

I noticed the slight downturn of his expression but then it was back to joyful exuberance. "When do we leave? Where are we going? Are your parents the Walkers?" he asked in rapid succession.

"Hold on, I will tell you everything you need to know. The first thing you need to know is that we are on a mission. This is serious. I'm not sure what's involved yet so just keep in mind that this could be dangerous. I don't want my family and especially you getting hurt."

Shit, what did I just say? I hope he didn't pick up on the fact that I put him ahead of my family. I saw a satisfied smile briefly blossom like an early morning flower. But then it was gone. Shit, I keep digging the hole deeper.

"What's my cover?"

Here it comes, I think. "You are going as my fiancé. I'm not sure if you're Charles Carmichael or Chuck Bartowski. I'll let you know when I decide."

"Why does it matter?"

He has gotten really good at asking just the right question, I say to myself. "I'm not sure that it does. I just want to make sure that everything goes right with the mission," I say and hope that I am convincing. It appears as though I was because he drops the subject much to my relief.

"Look Chuck, you will either be Chuck Bartowski, Nerd Herd Supervisor or Charles Carmichael, Banking Executive. I've not decided what works best for the mission."

Damn it. I thought I saw a hint of something in his eyes. I'm not sure what it was but it told me that he wasn't just blindly excepting everything I tell him. Just another reason for him to be Charles Carmichael, I think.

"Sarah…is that your real name?"

I know how big this moment is for Chuck. I never expected to ever tell him this. Well not like this anyway. "My name is Sandra Lisa Walden; at least it was for the first twenty years of my life."

He snapped his head around to bore his eyes into mine. "Sandra Lisa Walden. You've been with the CIA since you were twenty years old?"

"Yes, I was recruited out of Boston College." I think what the hell; he's going to need all this information anyway to pass as my fiancé." Shit, he'll need all my high school stories. This is going to be a disaster.

"When do we leave," he said his movement was quick and full of excited motion.

"We need to leave as soon as possible but it occurs to me that I need to go over quite a bit about my life. If you're my fiancé then you will need to know about me."

"Sarah, I can't imagine having a better mission than this. This is everything I have wanted for months now. To know something real about you and now I do."

I can't help but feel joy at his honest happiness just in finally knowing my real name. It was like I'd given him a million dollars. That's the Chuck I've come to lov-. What are you saying, Sarah. You better get your head on straight right now.

"Chuck, this is serious. You better get your head in the game and stop grinning like a five year old at Christmas…be at my apartment as soon as you can."

I storm out of his bedroom, madder at myself than at him. I can't help it. Poor guy, he must think I'm crazy. If I spend any more time in LA I probably will be.