A/N: A transition chapter. We're going to get to know Sarah a little better and move the story on to the next phase.

A Time for Honesty

Chapter Ten

The atmosphere in the surveillance van is distinctively chilly. I feel more warmth from the red and green flashing LED lights on the instrument panels than I do from Kate. We're listening to a conversation between the three key suspects in the weapons operation, Sophie who is Justine's step mother, Arnaud and Justine. Just as Chuck suspected, Jacco does not appear to be involved. But his back story is interesting. He was clearly taken advantage of by his wife. She used his good name to maneuver and organize the whole gun running operation.

We are waiting for an electronic transfer of money that we will intercept along with a cell phone transmission giving the go ahead to ship the arms. At that point Casey, who has eyes on the cargo, will call in the local authorities to arrest all participants.

Kate has been less friendly after I accepted Chuck's proposal than before, if that is possible. We've been inside this van for almost two hours and not one personal word have we exchanged since we began.

Chuck had been called to a supervisor's meeting in Prague for something. He either didn't know or wouldn't say. I couldn't get it stopped even by saying that he was needed to wrap up my mission. It had the feel of something big. I can't get it out of my mind.

Just as I had begun to believe that Kate was not going to say anything the rest of the night, she started in on me.

"You know what really bugs me about you, Walker?"

"I have a good idea, Kate…everything, right?"

She ignored my sarcasm.

"I think you played Chuck, I think you played Casey and I think you played me to get what you wanted."

I didn't have a clue where she was going. "What is it you think I want?"

"Chuck, of course."

"I won't deny that but how did I play you?" I was really interested in what she thought. I was blown away by what I heard.

"I think you slept with Arnaud, to try to get me on your side as a fellow female agent. I think you acted as though it was traumatic to get me to feel sorry for you."

"What!" I'm instantly mad. Besides it didn't make sense. She obviously had no idea how difficult that was for me. "I can't believe you would accuse me of that." I was actually speechless and didn't have anything to say. I don't know if it's because Chuck was beginning to rub off on me or because I really wanted Kate to understand. But I try an entirely new approach for me. Instead of yelling and screaming, I try complete honesty. So I push my anger aside and talk with her.

"Kate, have you ever been in love?"

She was completely surprised by my question and by the soft tone of my voice.

"I don't see what that has to do-"

"It has everything to do with you understanding how I feel. If someone tried to explain this to me before I met Chuck, I would not have been able to understand, because I'd never been in love before."

"Casey told me you had a long relationship with another agent before being assigned to Chuck. Are you saying that you were not in love with him?" Her tone was still accusatory.

"Bryce and I had what you and Casey have. Would you call that love?"

"Casey and I are just killing time, nothing more."

"That's right and that's what Bryce and I had. We were bed buddies. I didn't know that at the time but it was nothing more than that. What Chuck and I have is…is, it's hard to describe. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

I see Kate regard me carefully in the dim light of the van. I know that she is undecided about me still. But I've clearly made an impact on her. "Bed buddies; is that what you call Casey and me?" Kate said with a hint of a smile on her face.

"I sometimes use another term," I say returning the smile.

"Does it involve the word friends," she said her smile opening up.

I watched her expression turn serious. "So, tell me. What is the difference between bed buddies and what you have with Chuck?" She seemed keenly interested. If I had had more experience along these lines I would have recognized that Kate was searching for more. She knew that what she had with Casey and a number of agents before him was transitory. She had come to know that she wanted more. My epiphany about Kate is that she was initially attracted to Chuck because he was not someone who was interested in a meaningless relationship.

"Chuck and I are bed buddies too, but that isn't the only reason we're together. There is a lot more to us than sex. Not that the sex isn't wonderful, but I would want to be with him even if we didn't have sex." I see that I have finally intrigued her with that comment.

"You mean that you're best friends?"

I see that she has a problem with the concept. "Yeah, I guess that's a good way to describe it. Look Kate, there's nothing I wouldn't do for Chuck…nothing."

"Even if that means leaving the CIA to stay with him…because that's what it's going to take for you two to stay together long term, surely you see that. When the CIA finds out about it and they will, they will stop it."

"Even if it means leaving the CIA. That will be my last resort but if I have to do that. I will."

Kate regards me skeptically. "That's easy to say."

"Well I'm not going to leave just to make a point with you. But if I have to, I will." I look at her and see that she's starting to believe me. But before I can really drive the point home, our mission interrupts our girl talk.

"Hang on, they're making the transfer. Call Casey and alert him of the impending cargo movement," Kate said putting her attention back to the job.

I did as Kate instructed and within five minutes we had the identity of the buyer, the seller and the middle men. We also had the accounts the funds transferred from and too. We had the cell phone call from Arnaud to let the shipment proceed. We had it all wrapped up tightly. This case is over.

"Tell Casey to call in the cavalry. It's time we get out of Belgium," Kate said smiling.

I returned the smile but my thoughts went to what was next for me. Kate, Casey and Chuck would be going back to LA but I had no idea where my next assignment would take me. It left me feeling more than a little apprehensive.

Justine, Arnaud, and Sophie would be going to jail for a very long time. They would never know who was responsible for sending them away. At most, I will be a pleasant memory for Arnaud as he rots in prison. As time goes by, he will forget what I even looked like. That's how it works for a deep cover agent. If we are successful, the criminals are never even aware of our existence.

Kate and I go about our jobs with little further discussion. We wrap up and I go home to write and file my final report. I hate the details involved with reports but I get busy and finish this one. After sending my report to my coordinator, I have some time alone before Chuck gets back. He had called earlier to tell me that he was on his way back to Brussels. I expected him in a couple of hours. That gave me time to think.

I remembered when I met Casey at Ellie's wedding. I remembered thinking that he treated Chuck differently then. That was because Chuck was his boss. I had to chuckle when I thought how he would have taken that news. I bet he had a couple of sleepless nights. I can hear him now. The country's in trouble, Bartowski's in charge, followed by one of his patented growls.

That reminds me of the happy-go-lucky side of Chuck's personality. I miss that. I would imagine that the weight of responsibility he's feeling as a supervisor has had an impact on him.

I think about Chuck's confident demeanor. I guess it would help one's confidence to be made a supervisor right off the bat. Casey's been working at this for twenty years and now he's working for Chuck. I wonder who was responsible for making Chuck a level 6, could it have been Beckman? I never thought she had much respect for Chuck. Something must have changed. I wondered what it was.

I then remembered his comment to me in his bedroom back in LA. He told me that he knew more about what I was doing than I gave him credit for. That's when it occurred to me that he probably had been keeping tabs on me. He could do that with his level 6 designation. When he gets back tonight I've got a few questions for him. I can't believe he's a level 6.

Shit, he's a level 6, I think, astounded. I have to figure out a way around the marriage dilemma, if I intend to keep my promise, and I do. I go to my laptop and fire it up. I pull up the secure website and enter in three different codes along with voice recognition commands and finally pull the policy manual.

I pour over all the relevant policies and look for any way around the rules. But I find nothing. Feeling like the situation is completely hopeless, I sit back and rub my eyes. I look at my watch and see I have a little more time so I keep searching for an out. After looking at the policy manual for almost another hour, I stumble on one of the general policies that apply to generic situations.

All individual policies can be overridden by either executive order, by order of the Director of the CIA or by the head of the NSA or their designates. I read that line with interest. I'm not sure how I can get any of these people to authorize a marriage between a level 6 supervisor and a deep cover agent, but it is a way out. I file this information away in the back of my mind and wait for my fiancé to show up.

I smile when I think of Chuck as my fiancé. I've come a long way from the woman who was too afraid to commit to him for fear that he would come to hate me. That seems silly as I think about it now. But back then, it seemed all too real. But my conversation with Kate shows me just how far I've come. I actually talked about my feelings. I know Kate's still not convinced but maybe she won't be making any bold accusations for a while. I was actually proud of myself. I was honest with her and me. Watch it Walker, I think. You're liable to become a well adjusted woman.

I expect Chuck in any time now, soon the phone rings and I see that it's him.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask.

"Sarah, pack your bags. We're going away for a few days." I hear the excitement in his voice.

"What's going on?" I ask him.

"You and I are going on vacation. Casey and Kate are going to tidy everything up here before going back to LA."

"Vacation? Chuck, what are you talking about?"

"Sarah, just pack your bags. We've got a flight to catch."

"Chuck, I can't just pack my bags. I need to know where we're going. I need to know what to pack. What kind of vacation are we going on?"

"Pack like you were going on a honeymoon." I hear the phone disconnect.

X=X

We have turned in my little car to the rental booth and are walking down the main corridor of the old airport south of Paris. I looked at the little hunk of metal as I walked away. It's hard to believe but I thought I'd miss that little car. It seems like only yesterday that I drove it down to Orly to meet Chuck. I look at the engagement ring on my left hand for the millionth time since he gave it to me almost ten minutes ago. I thought about saying no but how could I do that. I'd already said yes. But I will have to be careful once we get stateside. The CIA might look the other way if we're discreet and successful but don't flaunt it in their face. I look at my hand one more time. How did he know that princess cut diamonds are my favorite? I glance at him smiling and notice he's looking at me.

"I know we aren't supposed to be working right now but I promised that I would test these new radios while we're gone," he said handing me two little ear pieces.

I look at the earpieces quizzically.

"Just put them in your ear. The control is completely separate you can adjust the volume and even turn it off and on from this control," he handed me the accompanying control piece. "It should be much clearer."

I put the equipment in my ear. They were almost completely invisible to the average observer.

"Look, I'm going to the rest room. Meet me at the magazine shop over there when I get out, OK?"

I nodded and watched him walk away. "Nice ass," I say knowing he can hear me.

He twists it like a woman as he walks into the Men's Restroom. That's the Chuck I've come to love. I can't keep the smile from my face.

"Sarah, I'm turning off my mic. There's something going on in here I don't think you'd want to hear," Chuck said through the wireless.

I had to laugh but I silently thanked him for his good taste. I walk over to the large window overlooking the runway to the south. There are numerous crews working hard to load and unload baggage and refuel planes. Orly is still a very busy airport and since I rarely fly commercial I find myself watching the hustle and bustle of the scene outside with a little curiosity.

I thought about what Chuck was up to. I know he has something nice planned for the two of us. But I don't have a clue as to what it might be. But then I hear Chuck's voice in my earpiece. But what he says doesn't make sense to me.

"What are you doing over here? I thought we'd agreed to meet by the magazine stand?"

I look around trying to find him but can't. This section of the terminal had filled quickly with people traveling to and from their homes.

"Did you change clothes? Sarah what in the world is going on?"

I hear in the background of my earpiece but also from within the terminal as well. It had a stereo effect.

"Mother, he called me Sarah."

I look behind me and find Chuck standing before a blonde haired, blue eyed woman dressed in blue jeans and a T shirt. This felt like a twilight zone episode. I realize what I am seeing but it is so far from what I thought possible that I can't really believe it.

I move behind a support beam to watch not even blinking so that I won't miss any of the reality play that unfolds before my eyes.

Then, a blonde beauty approaching fifty years of age practically runs up to where Chuck and the younger woman are standing. And through the earpiece I hear the conversation. I also hear the raw emotion coming from the female voices.

"Mother, this man called me Sarah," she repeated.

The woman stared at Chuck almost imploringly. "Excuse me, why would you think my daughter's name is Sarah?" The older woman asked.

I'm sorry, it's just that I've lost my fiancé and she looks amazingly like you," he said pointing at the younger woman. "I thought you were Sarah."

"No, I'm Mary," the younger woman said.

"Is Sarah here with you?" the older woman said looking around the terminal. Her presence seemed frantic.

"Yeah, she was supposed to meet me over there by the magazine stand." He pointed to the magazine stand. He began to look around and almost immediately his brown eyes locked onto my blue eyes. After that, two sets of blue eyes followed his gaze to my eyes as well. I feel completely exposed as their eyes bore down on me. I see a host of emotions interview both faces as we continue to stare at one another.

I freeze in place. I cannot move. Evidently, they feel the same because we continue staring at each other from across the terminal. Fighting the urge to run away, which I know is completely irrational, I take the first step towards Chuck. I doubt seriously if I could have taken that step had he not been standing beside them.

I had taken about six steps when I thought of the circumstances that caused me to stay with my father and my sister to go with our mother. After step number eleven, I thought about how my life might have been different if I would have made a different choice that fateful afternoon. At step seventeen, I remember trying to find my mother using CIA assets with no luck. I never understood how that was possible.

After taking my twenty-third step, I stop in front of the two women. I give Chuck a hesitant smile and grab his hand for support before turning my attention back to the older woman. I see her glance at our clasped hands and give Chuck a faint smile. I know I have to say something but my voice will not utter a sound without giving away the emotional undercarriage that comes with it. So I hesitate. Finally, when I think I can eeck out the two syllables needed, I speak.

"Hi Mom."

A/N: I have a request. (not demand) lol I would like to ask everyone who was kind enoough to review my fablescrapping chapter to go to the well one more time. My question is: Is the story holding up or do you feel it has slipped some. If it is holding up a simple yes would suffice. But if you feel it has slipped I would like some details.

Thanks,

LeeCan