Posted August 2, 2021

A/N: In "Chuck vs the Break-Up," Bryce did a lot of things that almost jeopardized the mission and others that almost cost Chuck's life. (Thankfully, Sarah didn't shoot towards Chuck when she possibly had a concussion, despite Bryce's "order.") For his last action in LA, before he vanished to do who knows what, he selfishly decided that he knew what was best, getting Chuck to "break-up" with Sarah. This was a pattern for him, just like Stanford and like blowing up the Intersect and killing a guard in the pilot) Somehow Bryce got his hands on a second Intersect, and gave it to Chuck. Why? It took a long time for the government to build the Beta Intersect, and they could use glasses even then. Where did Bryce get the intel and the non-explosive download device? It was like the first episode. He chose for Chuck to be stuck under the NSA's and CIA's thumbs.

Putting those things aside, Bryce was flirting with Sarah so hard in "Chuck vs the Break-Up" that he almost blew Sarah's cover to civilians twice. It wasn't the first time in the series he did that. In "Chuck vs the Nemesis," when on the run from Fulcrum and the CIA, he decided to crash a Thanksgiving party attended by four civilians and the person who had shot him. In this early season 2 episode, Ellie saw Bruce from the back and saw him again from a distance. Fortunately for Bryce, only Devon talked to him, someone who didn't know what he looked like.

Disclaimer: Nobody else owns anything here, so why would I?
Disclaimer 2: No beta. However, if you PM issues to me, I'll fix them. There's no expiration date.

October 13, 2008
Buy More Plaza
Burbank, CA

Ellie had a few hours before her evening shift at the hospital, so she had plenty of time to do one of the important things on her pre-wedding to-do list. She had enough time to stop by Orange Orange and ask Sarah to be one of her bridesmaids.

It might be a little presumptuous to assume that Chuck and Sarah would still be together, whenever the wedding happened in several months, but all anyone had to do was see how they had been gazing at each other for a year, and it could be clear it wasn't presumptuous at all. The two of them made each other happy. Sarah was really good for Chuck and was probably one day going to be part of the family.

Also, Sarah seemed on top of things most of the time. Even though she had a string of dead-end food service jobs, to own a car like hers and live in an expensive full-service apartment like she did, she had to have been really successful before she moved to California. She just had taken a step back so she could be Chuck's loving girlfriend all the time. There was nothing wrong with that in Ellie's book. She made Chuck want to be more, and one day they would figure it out a way that made each other happy, together.

Whatever the reason for just working at Wienerlicious and Orange Orange, Ellie was fairly certain that Sarah would be a valuable asset for getting things done for the wedding. Sarah seemed to be capable of doing anything, except maybe cooking corn dogs on a stick. Those would not be on the menu.

Right outside the entrance to Orange Orange, Ellie froze at what she saw. Inside, a man was holding Sarah's hand across the counter, blatantly flirting. Ellie couldn't see him well, but from the back he seemed like he had dark hair and was classically handsome. She thought he must be Sarah's ex, Bruce! Chuck had said he was in town and ruined his date with Sarah.

Chuck's protective big sister wasn't going to stand by and not do anything because that wasn't who she was. Bryce and Jill cheated on Chuck at Stanford. Ellie didn't know if that was before or after Chuck was kicked out for something he didn't do, but Chuck and Jill never broke up before Chuck found out she was with Bryce. That means she cheated on him. "Fett" (as Morgan called him) had to be the one who framed Chuck for cheating so he could make a move on Chuck's girlfriend. That action put Chuck in a tailspin that led to him being stuck at the Buy More for over five years. Ellie wasn't about to let another rival make the moves on Chuck's current girlfriend.

From everything that Sarah had said to Ellie, Bruce was someone Sarah never wanted to be with again. She was probably doing the polite "we can be friends" thing, and Bruce thought that meant he owned Sarah. If someone says, "We can be friends" then moves across the country to work at a fast-food job, you should not stalk them to their new job, a year later.

Ellie opened the door to Orange Orange, took one step inside, and fixed a stern stare at the woman whom Chuck loved, whom Ellie thought loved him.

"Ellie! Hi!" Sarah cheerfully said. Ellie didn't miss Sarah pulling her hand back quickly and sending a wide-eyed look at her ex. The man kept his back turned and went off to the other side of the store. Ellie put on the best smile she could fake and stepped up to the register.

"You haven't been here since I started working here. What can I get you?" Sarah asked.

Ellie scanned the four flavor options and picked, "Raspberry."

Sarah quietly said, "You don't want that. It's nasty. I think they should replace it. Chocolate, vanilla, and even orange are better."

"Thanks. I'll have an extra-large vanilla, with as many colored sprinkles as you can put on it."

Ellie got out her wallet, but when Sarah returned with a yogurt swirl covered with enough sprinkles for three yogurts, she said, "Don't worry about it. It's on the house."

She held out a spoon, but Ellie took the dish and not the spoon. "I don't need that." Calm and collected, the brunette walked over to the man who had his back turned and said, "It's not on the house. It's on Bruce." She dumped the entire dish on his head. Some of the sprinkles went into his hair, some down his shirt, and few made their way to the floor. The yogurt made a big gooey mess, before sliding off his hair to his shirt and the floor in several large chunks.

"What!?" the man exclaimed.

"Sarah's too nice to say this," Ellie started, "but I don't care what you think of me. Stay away from my friend! I came here to ask her to be my bridesmaid. You had your chance with her and lost it. She's now seeing a nice, great man who doesn't deserve to be betrayed."

Bruce turned to face Ellie, and she recognized him. "Bryce? I thought you were dead."

Bryce, wiped some of the soft-serve yogurt off his hair on the floor. "Ellie, I can explain."

Ellie didn't want Bryce's explanation. She turned to Sarah, "Bruce is Bryce? You used to date Bryce Larkin?"

After the initial commotion caused by the food attack, the store was now dead quiet, save the low hum of the soft-serve yogurt machines. The two patrons in the store gawked but didn't make a sound. Sarah hit a button on the register. When the drawer opened, she pulled out a couple small pieces of paper and held them up to the customers. "Sorry for the drama, but we're temporarily closing for an emergency. Please leave now, but take these coupons, each good for any frozen treat, so they will cover whatever you want the next time you come."

The two people looked at each other a moment thinking about whether they would prefer to watch the show or to get free food. Eventually they decided to take the free yogurt credit and run.

Sarah locked the door behind them, flipped the sign to Closed, and motioned to a table to sit and talk. Ellie started over, but Bryce grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Wait a second, Ellie. I can explain."

Ellie glared down at the hand on her arm, and he immediately let go. Ellie felt a little pride that her fierce look worked, but then she looked back at Sarah. Apparently, the glare had nothing to do with it. Sarah held a knife that came from who knows where. It wasn't a normal knife, like one might see at a food establishment. It looked like a weapon!

With the most serious voice Ellie had ever heard, Sarah threatened, "Bryce, you will not put another finger on Ellie. If she still wants me, I'd love to be her bridesmaid. Don't think for a second that I would pick you over her. You're officially dead, so there is no consequence for killing you. I know NSA cleaners who can be here in a few minutes to dispose of your corpse, because you would really be dead this time."

That scared Ellie a little, even though she wasn't the person being threatened. She didn't want to move. "Please sit here," Sarah said. Ellie still didn't move. "It's safe." Sarah pleasantly smiled.

Ellie told herself that she had nothing to fear from her brother's girlfriend, even though she was holding a knife. Over the past year, Sarah could have hurt her at any time but had never seemed slightly dangerous. The only threats made today were from the "dead" man who aggressively grabbed her arm and from this not-so-timid yogurt server, who directed her fury at the man who deserved it. Ellie wanted to know what was going on, and the only way to get that was to sit with the woman who may not have been stepping out on Chuck after all.

Sarah and Ellie sat at one of the customer tables, Fortunately, Bryce stayed where he stood. Sarah pulled out her iPhone and made a call, holding up a finger to tell Ellie she'd be a minute.

"We have a situation. Your favorite target thought it would be a good idea to hang around where I work, where he was not wanted. Ellie came by, so his presence blew my cover. I need you to come here and deal with him while I explain things to Ellie. It's closest to a Scenario 3."

She listened for a few seconds then said, "No, I've had to close the store and lock the front door. You shouldn't be seen entering. After you extract Bryce, you're going to need to come up with a new plan for tonight. I don't see how we can trust him again. It's just as well he's not around us during the mission because someone might recognize him."

She finished the call with, "Thanks."

Sarah put her phone away and smiled at Ellie again. "I'm sure you have questions." The knife laid on the table with her hand flat over it. At least she wasn't still brandishing it.

"Do I have questions? I can't make coherent questions. What's going on? How is Bryce still alive? Why is he here with you? It sounded last night like Chuck knew your ex and that he ruined your date last night. Does that mean Chuck knows about Bryce? I thought he went to Bryce's funeral. Were you and Bryce a thing? That must kill Chuck. Even if you and Bryce were a thing, how could you give him the time of day after what he did to Chuck? How is any of this possible?"

Ellie hadn't taken a breath. Bruce being Bryce was worse than she thought when she first came inside to tell off "Bruce."

"It's ok, Ellie. I can't explain everything, but I'll explain what I can—"

From across the room where he was standing, Bryce interrupted Sarah and said, "Sarah and I are spies."

Sarah glared at Bryce again, picking up her knife and pointing it in his direction. "That's one of the things I didn't have to tell you, Ellie. I could have told you part of the truth without revealing that detail, but Bryce blew that secret. If he knows what's good for him, he will keep his mouth shut." She still held the knife firmly, but rested her hand down on the table.

"Yes, Ellie. Now that the cat's out of the bag: I'm a spy. Whether or not Bryce will still be one after so blatantly disrupting my cover so many times in less than a day…that'll be up to our superiors."

Bryce didn't know what was good for him and said, "How could this be my fault? I was just trying to protect our cover. It was an accident."

Sarah responded to him. "Everyone who works around here knows I've been dating Chuck for a year. No one from tonight's mission will be here, so they couldn't possibly see us pretending to be a happy couple. If they saw me, that alone could make tonight's mission fail, whether or not you were here. If anyone around here saw you hitting on me, it would get around, permanently hurting my cover with Chuck, while doing nothing to help the Anderson cover. It was the same last night with my room at Maison 23. My neighbors and the staff know that Chuck and I have been a couple for a year. If anyone saw you coming in or going out of my room, it would hurt our cover there. This was all about you being cocky and not caring about anyone else."

"If Fulcrum saw us—"

"That's something else that Ellie isn't authorized to hear, which I wouldn't have told her. If they were around here, we'd have a bigger problem. They were around twice last year, because of you. The first time was necessary because you left a secure facility. They were snooping around the second time because of the first. We can only hope that since it's been over nine months, they've lost interest in this location. If they were here again you would have a huge problem because they know you're alive and would likely kill a dozen people to get to you. Do you want them to capture you, again?"

"No one would recognize me, other than Ellie and Chuck. Last year, I ran into Chuck's oldest friend, Morgan, at the Buy More. He thought I looked familiar, but he didn't know who I was."

Ellie was trying to follow, but wasn't sure. Sarah was a spy. Chuck knew about Bryce. Some group was after him, and they might kill a lot of people. And Morgan had run into Bryce last year? She shook out her head. How was that possible? Morgan might hate Chuck's Nemesis even more than Chuck. Then again, he thought Bryce was dead, not a zombie who hit on Sarah. "When was this?"

Sarah answered, "Last year's Black Friday Sale at the Buy More. You probably heard about the 'gas leak.'"

"Morgan boasted about being the hero who called for the pineapple evacuation," Ellie remembered. "That was Bryce's fault? I should have known, though I guess I also thought he was dead, until I saw him here, today."

"We thought he was dead, until a day before Thanksgiving."

Ellie still needed to understand more. "Chuck knows about Bryce. Does that mean he knows you're a spy?"

Bryce couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Yes. It means that Chuck and Sarah aren't a real couple, no matter what 'Lover Boy' thinks."

Ellie looked back at Sarah for an explanation because she trusted her more than she would trust Bryce, ever again. For some reason, Sarah no longer held the knife.

Bryce said, "You missed. Chuck's already affecting you. You never used to miss."

Sarah sweetly said, "I didn't miss. That was a warning throw. The next time will have you singing soprano."

Ellie had thought she heard something a second ago. She looked past Bryce and saw the throwing knife embedded in the wall. Bryce's cocky expression disappeared, and he looked down at his sleeve. He found a small hole where the throw had sliced a cut in his shirt, while not hitting his arm. Ellie looked back at Sarah and saw there was another knife in her hand. Where were these throwing knives coming from?

Sarah said to Ellie, "Chuck doesn't know a lot of things about me. Even my superiors do not know most of these things. Knowing Chuck, he's probably figured out things in the first month that even Bryce does not know, and he was my spy partner and boyfriend for a couple years. As far as my superiors and other spies like Bryce know, I'm Chuck's handler, our relationship is only a cover, and my primary job is his protection." She leveled a pointed glare at Bryce before saying, "That cover would be a lot easier to maintain if my ex-partner and ex-boyfriend didn't hang around where he's not needed and not wanted." She looked sympathetically at Ellie, "As far as you, Devon, and all of the people here at the plaza are concerned, I'm Chuck's exclusive, long-term girlfriend. If that's what you thought, then I was doing my job."

So Sarah was "pretending" to be Chuck's girlfriend for some spy cover. Everyone thought she was his devoted girlfriend, but her bosses knew she wasn't his "real" girlfriend. Ellie had seen them together and was almost positive it was not fake. Sarah's eyes lit up every time she saw Chuck. Was she that good?

Then again, Ellie was supposed to think that. But how was her brother fooling her? Ellie had been able to read Chuck about most things since they were teenagers. She didn't think he could fake something like that so well. He was completely head-over-heels in love.

Ellie realized that Chuck wasn't in the two groups that Sarah had just described: He wasn't a spy, but unlike his friends, family, and co-workers, he was someone who knew she was one. "Chuck knows you are a spy, but he isn't one himself. What does he think you two are?"

Sarah looked down, and Ellie thought she blushed a little. Was that because she was too embarrassed to admit to Chuck's sister that she was playing him, or was that because there was really something there?

Before Ellie could press the question, the door to the Orange Orange storage room opened, revealing John Casey, wearing a Buy More green polo. Why was he there? When did he go into the back room?

Bryce spoke to the new arrival with derision, "Casey." Apparently, he wasn't surprised John was there and had come from that direction.

John didn't flinch at the attitude from a spy. He might just be a Buy More sales person, but he could put up an intimidating front when he wanted. It took a second, because Ellie wasn't used to this spy thing, but it suddenly clicked that John wasn't just in the Reserves. He must be a spy too. The big man said "Larkin, you're supposed to be in hiding."

"I was protecting Sarah and my cover."

"From whom? All you did was the exact opposite: You blew Sarah and Chuck's cover to Ellie." He looked at his neighbor and nodded in greeting, "Eleanor."

"Hi… John."

John went back to staring down Bryce. "Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to shoot you again?"

Again?

"You're not going to shoot me in front of Ellie. She's not part of this."

"You made her part of this by flirting with Walker before the mission started." He glanced to the side and noticed a knife embedded in the drywall. To Sarah, he asked, "What else did he do?"

Sarah said, "He wouldn't shut up, even after I told him to be quiet while I explained things to Ellie. He revealed classified information that she didn't need to know, like the name of the organization that we are up against."

"I guess I have to carry you downstairs to a cell." He pulled a gun from his back waist and fired. Bryce collapsed to the floor.

John had a gun! It wasn't as loud as she would have expected. Sarah commented, "Only a tranq? I'm surprised at your restraint."

Oh. Tranquilizer gun. Ellie didn't like guns being used on anyone, but at least it was a non-lethal one. If anyone should be shot, that would be Bryce. Since it was not a real gun, she didn't have to feel guilty about thinking that.

Casey grunted as an acknowledgement to what Sarah had said. He came around the counter to where Bryce was, saying, "Shooting him in the back as he fled from blowing up a government facility and killing a guard didn't work. Shooting him in the vest on Thanksgiving didn't work. He got away doing what he did because the brass turned their heads. They thought they needed him, but now he's being unnecessarily reckless. We don't need that. This time he deliberately revealed classified information to a civilian when he wasn't authorized. The General, you, and I are the only ones authorized to control who knows what about Operation Bartowski. This traitor can't do that. When he wakes up in a cell, I let the General figure out what to do this time, but he's not going on my mission." He threw Bryce over his shoulder into a fireman's carry and took him back into the Orange Orange storage room.

Operation Bartowski? This was about Chuck. Ellie looked back at Sarah, clearly saying she wanted answers.

With just the two of them in the store, Sarah put her knife away in her back waistband. She then went up to the register and pressed a few keys. "Surveillance is off, so we can talk in private." She sat back at the table with Ellie and gently said, "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, with Bryce forcing the situation. First, there is a back-way to quickly get between the Buy More and the Orange Orange. Yes, Casey is a spy too. It's both of our jobs to keep Chuck safe."

"What is 'Operation Bartowski'? Why does Chuck need two spies protecting him? Who is this Fulcrum?"

"I shouldn't tell you all of that because you don't need to know. First, forget that word. All you need to know is Chuck has two people protecting him as closely as we can, while still letting him live his life and be with his friends and family. You don't need to know why Chuck needs protection. Whether or not you know the reason why would make no difference to his protection. We'd protect him either way."

Ellie wanted to know, but not needing to know made a little sense. A lot of other things didn't make sense, though.

The big sister started, "If I knew, I would have said a long time ago to keep Bryce away. You and John might be looking out for Chuck, but letting that man within a mile is letting him get too close. I know you've heard the story. Bryce framed Chuck for cheating so he could get together with Jill. There's no proof, but I believe Chuck—not just because he's my brother and I'm showing solidarity to my family. You know him—how smart he is. He didn't have to cheat to do well on a test. He didn't need money. Also, I had just started bringing in a paycheck for my residency, so we had more money coming in than we had had in years. Chuck would never jeopardize a scholarship, and he was only 12 credits from graduating. With an engineering degree from Stanford, he was going to get a good-paying job. Risking it all at that point would've been stupid. Chuck's not stupid."

"I believed Chuck even before I saw the proof," Sarah quietly said.

"What?! What proof?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you the details. They're classified. What I can tell you is that during the road trip last year to the UCLA-Stanford game, we found unassailable proof of part of what was done. It was Bryce's fault, and he got away with it again because no one is pursuing it. The primary reason Bryce did what he did is classified. It was not Jill, though to be honest, I wouldn't put it past Bryce to go after Jill immediately after getting Chuck expelled for this other reason."

Ellie was shocked, not just by this "proof" but a little by the fact Sarah was throwing Bryce under the bus. She said, "I thought he was your boyfriend."

"'Was' being the important word. Bryce and I were never officially exclusive, and I know he was… Let's just say it seems completely in character for Bryce to go after his so-called best friend's girlfriend right after framing him. He stood me up when… Sorry, classified again. A little while before I came here, Bryce and I had stopped being regular spy partners. With how he had behaved even when we were partners, I was starting to wonder if it was worth it. Being a spy can be a lonely life because no one knows you, not like Chuck has gotten to know me because he works so hard at it. Bryce and I didn't really need to officially "break-up" because we weren't exclusive. Not being spy partners was enough. Then, I thought he died. Turns out it was something more complicated, which is another thing I can't talk about. He and I are not boyfriend-girlfriend now. In the mission tonight, Bryce and I were going to pretend to be boyfriend-girlfriend, for the mission. It was always only going to be an act. Right before you came in, I was telling him we should keep our next mission strictly professional."

"So Chuck is a spy and is not your boyfriend." Ellie meant that as a question, but it was the only thing that could be possible, as strange as it sounded, so it came out as a statement.

Sarah asserted, "Chuck is not a spy. Casey and I are spies assigned to protect him."

The blonde was vehement about that first part, but she didn't address the other part of what Ellie had said, so she repeated that as a question. "And he's not your boyfriend? I understand you said you're supposed to make me think that, while the people you work with don't think the same thing. Which is it? What do you and Chuck think? This 'surveillance' that is supposedly here is off. Can't you tell me? How you feel about each other can't be 'classified.'"

Sarah definitely blushed a little this time. "Ellie, I want to be honest with you about this. I want to be honest with Chuck. The truth is I don't know." She doesn't know? How could she not know? "Officially, as far as the people who have assigned me to work here are concerned, I'm his handler, and he's my asset."

"Unofficially?"

Sarah went back to "Officially, for my work, I have to spend all of my time with Chuck. As unofficial as I can say, I don't consider it 'work' to spend all my time with a great guy. Whether or not he's my 'boyfriend,' he's the best boyfriend I've ever had. Protecting him is the most important thing to me, not just because it's my job to protect him, but because he's the most important thing to me. And that's all the unofficial things I can say."

Ellie didn't understand most of this situation, but she thought she had figured out a few things. First, it seemed like Bryce might finally get what was coming to him, not based on what she knew in her heart was true, but based on crimes they had proof he repeatedly committed.

Second, Chuck got to play spy. He must love that. When he joked the other day about being a secret agent, it turns out he already was one—not for play, but for real— as real as it could be when you weren't a spy but were around two all the time. Even so, Ellie wasn't sure if he loved being a secret agent more than he loved Sarah. They might not "officially" be a couple, but that didn't mean he didn't love her.

Which led to the third thing… The situation Sarah described was a little tragic. Based on everything Sarah had told her, Ellie was certain that Sarah loved Chuck. She just had to be careful about what she did about it, because she both loved him and wanted to protect him. Chuck was talking the other day about resetting his life, but then he dropped his plans for no apparent reason. The reason must have been spy-related. It was complicated…or classified…or both. With Sarah and Chuck loving each other, if the situation changed again, maybe they could seize the opportunity.

Ellie had protected Chuck his entire life, ever since their mom left and their dad told her she had to look out for him. She didn't understand what the spy situation was and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to help in that world. That was Sarah's job, and she obviously cared about doing that a lot, based on how she acted with Chuck the past year and what she said today. Until some future opportunity arose, Chuck and Sarah made each other happy, which was the most important thing. Ellie needed to try to hold herself back and let them be happy however they could be. Maybe they could be happy more often if she backed off a little.

Sarah had been carefully watching Ellie as she thought through the situation. She softly asked, "Can I still be your bridesmaid, please?"

The question was so timidly asked, Ellie was surprised. She couldn't help but nod—not because she felt like she had to or else be stabbed, but because her friend, the person who she was asking to be a bridesmaid anyway, asked.

However, she couldn't hold in the question, "Is this because it's your job?"

"No. I'll be there as Chuck's girlfriend no matter what." Ellie now understood "girlfriend" had a "complicated" meaning for Chuck and Sarah. For her spy bosses, it was her job. For the people at the wedding, Sarah would be a normal girlfriend. For she and Chuck, they would also want it to be that. Maybe they would even want it to be their own wedding. Ellie couldn't help but be excited about that idea, no matter what Sarah did, but she restrained herself the best she could.

Sarah continued, "Many of my spy teammates—I suppose you would call them 'work friends'—for missions they have been in weddings as bridesmaids or even brides. That's never been the type of mission I've been assigned. The truth is, you and Devon aren't the assignment. Chuck is. I want to keep you safe because that's good for Chuck and because he's likely to do something if I don't, but Chuck's the priority. Being in the wedding party doesn't help keep Chuck safe any more than attending the wedding. I'd like to be a bridesmaid because I consider you a real friend."

Ellie hadn't known Sarah was a spy, but had thought of her as a real friend for a while. She came to Orange Orange wanting Sarah to be a bridesmaid. Ellie's understanding of Sarah had changed, but the fact she was a friend had not changed.

"I definitely want you as a bridesmaid." Earlier, Ellie thought Sarah might be able to help get things organized. Turns out she had no idea. One thing: "You probably want to be in charge of security, don't you? I didn't even know security was needed for my wedding. I don't know why Chuck needs security, but I want him to be safe."

Sarah chucked. "No one will know about the 'security,' if any is needed. If Chuck still needs protection, Casey will review security protocols. He'll be invited, won't he?"

"Of course, John came to Thanksgiving. It would be weird if he wasn't invited to the wedding."

"If Casey and I are reassigned and no longer assigned here for protection, he might be deployed someplace and not be able to come. I'm sure he'd use the 'Reserves' cover-excuse. I'd still like to stand up for my friend at her wedding. Then 'security' won't be as critical." Sarah had a big smile.

Ellie picked up on something. If Sarah wasn't assigned to Chuck, she still wanted to be in the wedding, but she was talking like it was a given that she would be there with Chuck. Sarah the spy might be good at fooling some people, but now that Ellie knew the balancing act, she knew what to look for. How Sarah felt was just as obvious as before.

She met Sarah in a hug. Ellie said, "I understand you won't be doing security, but as a bridesmaid, you will have certain wedding planning duties." Sarah's smile did not waver at the idea of new duties. Ellie said, "One of those is to protect me from Devon's parents, Drs. Woody and Honey Awesome. No knives, though."

"Got it. No knives—unless you ask for me to help that way."

Ellie laughed. She liked the sound of having a friend like Sarah in her corner. "Sounds like a plan."

A/N: That's one. Another close call isn't missed in the next chapter.