Posted July 17, 2019

A/N: I realized my last three stories have all been kind of named "Chuck vs. Sarah." None of them have Sarah fighting Chuck, though. They are all Charah-friendly. This one isn't pure fluff, but it is a Charah story.

Disclaimer: Nobody else owns anything here, so why would I?

Disclaimer 2: No beta. Why would I sucker/obligate/subject anyone into reading this when they didn't want to? However, if you PM me corrections, I'll fix them.

July 2007

Sarah opened the door and inhaled the aroma of Chi Spacca's Italian restaurant. She held the door open behind her for her date. She supposed it could be called her first "real" date with Bryce, despite them being together for around two years. They had been on many "dates" for missions over that time. She supposed she would say he had been her boyfriend ever since they started sharing a room together around the world whenever they were undercover as the Andersons. Two years ago, they took their downtime together, going to Cabo. A vacation wasn't the same thing as a date, even though it was exciting. While a lot of her classmates in college spent Spring Break someplace like Florida or Mexico, she spent hers at the Farm, training to jump out of planes and learning new martial arts. That trip to Cabo was her first ever vacation with someone as a couple. Actually, it was her first vacation in which she wasn't visiting her mom or pulling a con since she had left home with her dad, before she was a teenager.

That night, her boyfriend was taking her to a nice restaurant, and it wasn't for a CIA mission. It could almost be called a "real date." It was a little strange in a couple ways, though. First, he insisted on coming to LA, not going out in DC, where they were both based. Second, they weren't going to have a romantic dinner alone. He had invited his best friend, a frat brother he went to college with.

At least he had a friend that wasn't a spy. Sarah had a series of aliases until her dad was arrested when she was in high school, so no one from that time knew her current name. Since she went into the CIA at the same time she entered college, her friends were all colleagues that worked in the CIA, the Secret Service, or the DEA. This guy she was going to meet knew Bryce before he was a spy. She was a little intrigued at the idea of getting a glimpse of who Bryce really was underneath the spy exterior.

The frat-boy stereotype did give her pause. She was used to evil men and hormone-driven ones who worked with her in the spy world, both types fawning all over her. She didn't want it in her down-time. Knowing that she had a boyfriend away from work for over the next two days, she wanted him to be the only person who fawned over her.

When they met the friend, Chuck Bartowski, at their table, she was pleasantly surprised. His eyes widened at first, and he was momentarily speechless, but then he recovered and was rather polite. He wasn't what one would call as "classically handsome" as Bryce—someone who could have been a model. But Chuck was close. He had an almost infectious smile, these wonderful curls in his brown hair, and his emotions were easy for someone like her to read. He stared a little, but it wasn't in a way that made her uncomfortable, like he wanted to possess her. Instead, it was mostly mesmerized, but he would look away a little embarrassed when he realized what he was doing. When they first met, he had stood to greet her, and when he realized Bryce sat first, he had actually held her seat for her. It was kind of sweet. He was awkward, but trying to be a gentleman.

A waiter asked for their drink orders. Bryce ordered for himself and for her as well, never asking what she wanted. He ordered a bottle of white wine, In other circumstances it would have been fine, she didn't know Napa Valley vintages enough to know if his selection was good or pretentious, but considering she was planning on getting a steak, not fish or chicken, red would have been better. She also caught a look that Bryce sent the waiter, who suddenly apologized and said he had forgotten. That implied Bryce had given him earlier instructions. She wondered what was going on.

Chuck declined wine and said he was fine with water. When it was just the three of them again, he said that was all his budget allowed, with a self-deprecating laugh.

Bryce said, "What happened after Stanford, Chuck? What happened to the guy who was going to be the next Bill Gates, but with style?"

Chuck replied, "I'm still working on my five year plan. Since Stanford, I've been working at the Buy More. I'm now Supervisor of the Nerd Herd."

Bryce looked a little confused, but Sarah was more so. Even she knew that billionaire co-founded Microsoft while still in college at her alma mater. If Chuck was Bryce's best friend, why didn't he know what he had been doing for the last five years?

Chuck tried to steer the subject away from himself. "But what about you two? Bryce, how did you meet this beautiful woman? I assume you are still working on the East Coast as an accountant."

Bryce took her hand on the table, before answering. Sarah didn't really like it. She supposed it was an ok display of affection, but the way Bryce suddenly grabbed it, it seemed like an act of possession. That was unwelcome. She and Bryce might be spending all of their time together on missions, but she didn't think they were that way in public, yet. They had barely been out in public together when they weren't working. Technically, they were on their first date, counting that night as a date only by ignoring the guest that he had invited. With someone who didn't know what they did, it felt like a cover-couple action. They still had not been on a normal, non-mission, non-vacation, two-person date.

Bryce said, "Sarah and I work together. Our company is based in DC, but we work internationally, traveling together as a team." Sarah supposed that was one way of spinning the accountant cover that Bryce had told Chuck, adding just a little bit of truth.

Chuck said, "International finance, huh? Impressive. That's a long way from helping you with EE courses in college, like I tutored so many others. Sounds like switching majors was the right thing for you because it helped you meet Sarah."

Sarah was impressed—with Chuck. Bryce said his friend was a great guy. She wasn't getting the sexist pig vibe that she got off of a lot of guys right after she met them. Instead, he seemed to be a genuinely nice person. Going to Stanford meant he was smart. It wasn't her school, but she had heard it called the Harvard of the West. Engineering made it like the MIT of the West. Chuck helped other students. Bryce considered him a potential future Bill Gates. That rich guy dropped out of her alma mater, but he co-found one of the most successful companies in history. All signs were that Chuck was really smart.

Bryce smiled at Chuck's praise at his cover-career path, but he seemed distracted, looking around to room and back to the front door. He gave Sarah a kiss on the cheek and excused himself, she assumed to find the hostess or the maître d'. He didn't bother to tell her what was so important.

After a moment, Chuck apologized for the awkward silence. The apology had been unnecessary as Sarah didn't mind it. It meant she didn't have to invent a story to carry on the conversation. At least Chuck wasn't hitting on her or leering at her. She found herself liking having him for company.

Chuck asked what she thought of LA. She said she hadn't seen much so far and thought they might be leaving tomorrow. Her mother lived nearby, but that wasn't what Chuck meant because virtually no one knew about her. Considering Sarah had freshened up on the plane and Bryce had sent their bags to the hotel directly from the airport, she had literally only seen LAX, a taxicab, and this restaurant. It was strange that this dinner was the only planned event for the trip. It was as if the entire purpose was for Bryce's best friend to meet his girlfriend, like he was showing her off. Chuck just said if she had time, she should check out the beach. Surprisingly, Sarah found herself not caring if Bryce was with her.

Sarah frowned at the thought that the dinner was a staged event and looked for where Bryce had gone. At the front of the restaurant, she saw a man holding a bouquet of balloons standing next to a man in a tux. Over towards the bar she spotted Bryce, examining what looked like a champagne bottle. Their waiter was standing by him, looking like he had just been chastised.

Sarah had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had to get out of there before something bad happened. Spies don't fall in love, and she definitely didn't love Bryce. Most of the time they were together, they were playing a part or on a post-mission, adrenaline high. The way she looked at it, they had never completed a single real date in their two years as a couple. She didn't count room service while planning an upcoming mission. She did not want to become his trophy wife just so she would be assigned to all future missions with him. She'd end up with a life of repeatedly saving his ass, with him continuing to take credit for what she did. She had been putting up with it because he was her boyfriend, but she didn't want a lifetime of that.

"Chuck?" Sarah said, asking for the attention of her table-mate.

"What's wrong?" He sounded concerned.

"I need a ride to my hotel. Could you please take me?"

"Are you feeling ok? We haven't even ordered food, but I've heard the food here is good."

"I'm not ordering food here, whatever happens next. I'm leaving with you right now, I'm calling for a cab, or I'm staying. That last option would result in an embarrassing situation with me leaving right afterwards, before eating."

The best way to avoid a scene created by the production she could see was coming was to get out before it started. It had taken her an instant to size up Chuck as a non-threat who put others' interests ahead of his own. He was the quickest option.

When she saw Chuck hesitating, she asked, "Is this some 'bro-code' thing? Is Bryce even your friend?" That last bit was a little presumptuous, but she could tell that Chuck was uncomfortable around Bryce. He had been bouncing between trying to act friendly, trying to not act foolish in front of a woman he thought was beautiful, and being wary of Bryce. Sarah sometimes went a couple years without seeing her mom, but their reactions towards each other were completely different.

Chuck started to shake his head no, indicating Bryce wasn't his friend, but stopped himself, making the reaction barely perceptible. Instead, he stood and pulled out Sarah's chair.

On the way out, Sarah thought of telling the violinist she saw in the tux that his services were no longer needed, but decided it was best to get out quickly. She was pretty sure Bryce didn't see them, not that it mattered. She didn't expect to work with him again. He'd get the message when he saw they were gone from the table.

Chuck apologized because of his car, but got the door for her. She'd admit a Toyota Yaris painted like a Tylenol gelcap was unusual, but she wasn't about to complain about the ride providing an escape from the averted disaster.

The only reason she could conceive for Bryce to want to marry her was to lock her into a permanent spy partnership, at least until one of them died in the line of duty. They had been together for two years, but she wasn't even sure they were "exclusively dating." She supposed they were because they were both too involved in work to date anyone else. At least she didn't have the time. On their Cabo trip, Sarah hadn't worried about about the incidents because she had figured Bryce couldn't help himself, but she saw him flirting with one woman he ran into at the bar and another he bumped into by the hotel pool. In missions, he was regularly seducing other women. She had always assumed it was for a cover, but he did suggest the technique a lot. Until tonight, she would have only thought of Bryce if she had to come up with someone she had romantic interest in. After tonight, she'd fully focus on her job.

Sarah knew she was a great spy. She didn't need a permanent partner. Living without a man worked for her mom. Her mom hadn't avoided a disaster of a marriage, but she seemed better on her own. At least now, she just missed her daughter, instead of being unhappy with her husband who went through life fooling others.

Chuck drove the car out of the restaurant parking lot and towards her hotel. When they reached the 5, she asked, "What happened at Stanford, Chuck?" She knew there was a story there. She didn't want to keep believing another cover story from Bryce. She could at least make Chuck know that she accepted him, whatever his faults. She was positive her own past was far worse. Only Graham and her parents knew about her life of crime before high school. It just made her accepting of a bad past, as long as the person wasn't an enemy of the United States.

"Oh, it's no big deal," Chuck tried to deflect.

"It's ok. I'm sure it was Bryce's fault."

Chuck stayed mute on the subject. Sarah could imagine he was biting his tongue.

She tried again. "Whatever happened, I do mean it when I say it won't bother me. You rescued me tonight. I almost never need to be rescued. As my hero, I'm on your side. I could tell I wasn't hearing the truth back there, and I'm really curious. I guess you could say I don't like secrets. You were smart enough to help other Stanford students with engineering classes. Why did your path lead you to the Buy More?"

Chuck mumbled something, so Sarah asked him to repeat, saying once again that she was on Chuck's side.

"I was accused of stealing a test and selling it to other students. They kicked me out of school during my last semester."

Sarah asked, "Why did Bryce frame you for stealing the test?"

"I didn't say Bryce did it," Chuck said. Sarah couldn't believe he was defending a guy who wasn't his friend, just because he didn't want to feel like he was accusing someone else.

"I say yet again, that I'm on your side. Did you steal the test?"

"No. Of course not," Chuck answered.

"Bryce is perfectly capable of doing that type of thing."

"He wasn't in the class. I'm the person that did well on the test. No one else did. I simply didn't need the answer key."

"That's another indication that no one else had the answers. Someone else would have done well. That also means Bryce's motive wasn't money because the test wasn't really sold. It all sounds like a cover story to me. Did he steal your girlfriend or something? As long as I've known him, which is admittedly less time than you, he's been a womanizer." It hadn't bothered Sarah when he played that roll on missions because he was good at it and that's what the job required. Maybe the fact that she didn't care should have told her something.

Chuck shifted a bit in the driver's seat, but didn't answer. Sarah could tell he was uncomfortable. It was probably some notion of not saying something bad about someone else, even a person that deserved it.

Sarah answered for him, "He did. Didn't he? He lied and then stole your girlfriend. Did you actually stay friends with him even a little bit after that? Tonight, I could tell he hadn't talked to you, his so called 'best friend,' in years."

"No, I hadn't heard from him since I left Stanford. I've been living with my sister and working at the same place as the guy who has been my best friend for the last twenty years. I only went tonight because my sister convinced me that I could get some closure. Driving his girlfriend away is not what I planned."

"I said several times before that I'm on your side. Now, I'm even more certain that is the best place to be. Bryce and my relationship developed from a common work life. But now that there is no longer an 'us' and that we won't be working together, I can honestly say that he's a self-centered tool. Your life may not be what you dreamed, but you're better off away from him."

They pulled in front of Sarah's hotel to drop her off.

Sarah was thankful she was there, away from having to reject a public, unwanted marriage proposal that put her in the spotlight. Bryce was probably stupid enough to think something like Chuck would be his best man. She just had to get her luggage, get a separate room, and let Graham know she wanted different mission assignments going forward. He would understand and keep her busy on missions away from her former partner. She just needed to thank her rescuer again.

She turned one last time to her driver as he shyly said, "You're here." It seemed he still could barely look her in the eye. In Sarah's experience, most men would seize the opportunity to make a pass at her. It's not like she had been in anything close to the night's circumstance before, but she had been in others in which the man would presume he deserved a reward.

Sarah strongly said, "I can't emphasize enough how thankful I am to you for helping me tonight. I could have gotten out of there, but it would have created a scene, and my family has direct experience with a bad proposal at a restaurant. This one would have been rejected. You saved me from continuing the bad legacy by providing an easy exit."

Chuck smiled at the mention that he had helped. "Wait a second. I'll get your door."

Before he could move, Sarah reached out and placed her hand on his arm. He froze and looked at her hand in amazement. She said, "Thank you, but I can handle the door."

"Of course you can, ignore me. You're perfectly capable and probably one of those liberated women that wants to show what she can do. I meant no offense. Now I'm babbling and probably insulting you. It wasn't my intention."

Sarah had to cut this off. "Don't worry about it. It's sweet but not necessary. You've had a bizarre evening, and there's no reason for you to keep bending over backwards for me when I can handle little things like that. Gentlemanly acts are always appreciated, but they are never expected. I should really go, but first…" She leaned over and gave Chuck a firm kiss on the check. "I'm really glad you were there for me tonight. Thank you. Goodbye, Chuck."

Chuck opened his mouth in surprise and raised his hand to his cheek where her lips had been. Before his brain could reboot, she was gone.

A/N, Song: "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel. This chapter had a single scene. Sarah didn't want to make another one.