AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to my alternate universe story which explores the route of Sarah and Chuck meeting each other while already working for the CIA as the CIA's best agents. Because Love-Struck Spies was my first fiction attempt, the story now requires a significant remaster in line with my 2022 writing standards, which I am working on as of October 2022. Only the first chapter is done so far. You will be able to tell easily which chapters are 'new' by how I introduce the chapter below because in the 2022 format of Love-Struck Spies, I have adopted an "Act" format. The reason for the remaster is that in addition to a desire to add better character development, sequences, and relationship building to the story, LSS also needs fresh scene creation for the mature scenes which will take place throughout the story. There will be sexual content in this fiction, but Love-Struck Spies contains a very sophisticated plot from start to end.
SUMMARY: Chuck and Sarah meet as the CIA's best agents and enter their first equal partnership on a long-term deep-cover assignment: Project Intersect. There will be numerous changes in key characters to facilitate the different circumstances required to set up the story (Chuck being a fully-fledged CIA agent and all that accompanies that description, for one). However, all canon personalities will retain as many canon traits as possible (especially Chuck) from the opening chapter. I am hoping that, with extensive character development, Chuck will be identical to his canon character, just with more natural ability and a ruthless streak when needed towards his career in the CIA alongside Sarah.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Chuck because if I did, the final two episodes would not be one great big pile of garbage! I'm also not getting any money from this either, folks.
Love-Struck Spies
Act I
The Team Assembles
Chapter I
Mutual Attraction
Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters
Washington D.C.
United States
28 November 2005
Agent Sarah Walker sits quietly on a seat inside CIA Director Langston Graham's office with her suitcase and backpack nearby in wait for a briefing for an upcoming assignment to commence.
While the beautiful blonde young twenty-two-year-old agent waits for the briefing to start, she drifts into a reverie about lots of things that'd taken place in her career in the CIA in the six years she'd been part of the organization.
When Sarah was recruited at the tender age of sixteen by Langston Graham, she saw it as an opportunity to start anew in the CIA, a clean break away from the con life she'd been living with her father for most of her life. She wanted to become somebody.
Her recruitment came about when she'd turned up at a remote location to collect money from a secret cache in the aftermath of her father having been caught and arrested as a consequence of being a career criminal.
The CIA Director, impressed by Sarah's ability to burn identities at such a young age, offered her a job in the CIA as his protege agent and with nothing to lose—nor to live for—she took up his offer and joined the clandestine ranks of the CIA.
During the subsequent training that immediately followed at CIA Academy—known as The Farm within the espionage world—Sarah excelled as she learned all the required skill sets for survival as a covert agent. That skill set involved extensive firearms training, hand-to-hand combat, building entry, clandestine surveillance measures, physical endurance training, advanced driving, survival, language skills, and seduction. Her instructors were extremely impressed by what they saw from someone just sixteen. Every instructor at the large facility widely praised her as a natural and perfectly suited for the world she now lives in as a highly trained CIA operative. And when needed, an assassin of the United States government.
On graduation from The Farm, where she'd graduated top of that particular class, her first assignment with the CIA had been to form part of a highly secretive unit, the Clandestine Attack Team.
And while the missions she'd undertaken with the CAT Squad were intense occasionally, none of what Sarah had done throughout her career in the CIA so far came close to her previous two missions for the agency.
The previous two assignments for Sarah—that she didn't wish to think about right now—have taken an enormous toll on her, to the point that all she wants to do at this moment is to be sitting on a beach in St. Tropez with a cocktail and possibly a later intimate no-strings encounter with a man she might take a fancy to out there.
Nevertheless, rather than her desire to unwind and rejuvenate herself coming to fruition, instead, here she is in D.C while waiting for her next assignment, which so happens to be with some CIA badass called Carmichael. The instant the Director informed her of this upcoming assignment, she'd attempted to talk herself out of working with a partner.
Such is Sarah's desire to work alone in the CIA; she'd tried her very level best to get her point across to the Director that all of her success in the CIA had come from working alone and that she didn't get on very well with partners, principally using the fallout of the Clandestine Attack Team—which had broken up due to irreconcilable differences—as the focal point of her argument.
However, the Director had ignored her reservations and, due to the level of resistance she'd displayed towards the idea, she'd left him no choice but to state that she would obey her orders.
Thinking back to the orders given to her by her boss, Sarah gives her head a mini wobble as she glances around the Director's room, unable to hold an irritated sigh under her breath. Just great! This Carmichael is probably another one of those arrogant CIA hotshots who love themselves and are more interested in the glitz and glam of the spy life rather than the mission at hand!
Despite Sarah's already long-formed preconceived opinion towards Agent Carmichael, if she is being truthful with herself, Sarah is more hurt in particular because of the growing reputation of this Carmichael. Because of Agent Carmichael's recent emergence, who is quickly becoming the talk of the whole agency, Sarah is now receiving half of her normal mission workload from the Director, and she doesn't like it.
After her father was taken from her, all she left was the agency.
And she sure as hell does not intend to let some CIA hotshot take that away from her.
No, Sarah will have to show Graham on this assignment that the word 'partner' is not one she has in her vocabulary.
So due to the negative perception she's already placed on this mystery agent, she isn't at all surprised when she checks her watch to find Agent Carmichael is running fifteen minutes late for the briefing.
Sarah doesn't know what the Director sees in Carmichael because even after his blatant unprofessionalism, the Director is still in one of his chirpy moods.
She shares a glance with Graham, who pushes through a smirk in her direction.
I already know from how he's looking at me that he knows I'm not pleased with Carmichael. Graham is a lot of things, ruthless and cunning, to name but a few, but he is an intelligent and commanding figure. I'm concerned with how easy he has always been able to read me.
The Director's gaze soon diverts away from Sarah, which causes her to move to sit back uncomfortably in her seat again.
Carmichael better hurry up and get his ass here so we can get this mission out of the way! Once it's over, I will insist to Graham that I need to take some leave, and I'll head on the next flight to St. Tropez! It really is beautiful this time of year...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Running late for an upcoming mission briefing, Agent Charles Carmichael hurriedly arrives outside CIA Headquarters in his modest personal vehicle.
He didn't want the assignment when he'd first received the call from the CIA Director about the mission.
'Don't freak out,' he'd said at the time.
The CIA Director wants him to work with one of the best agents in the CIA and the world!
The great Agent Sarah Walker.
According to information Chuck acquired, Agent Walker was recruited into the CIA in 1999. After graduating from The Farm, she was an ex-member of the infamous CAT Squad until it disbanded. In addition to her successful stint with the CAT Squad, Chuck discovered that Agent Walker was ex-Secret Service and had protected the President.
Frankly, due to everything Chuck has read about her, he is amazed she is a real person and not a fictional character.
Chuck often wonders why he has been receiving many of the sophisticated missions from the CIA of late when they are far more suited to Sarah Walker.
The assignments that Chuck is now frequently assigned are her style—seduction. Back at The Farm, legend has it that Miss Walker would only have to look at you with her eyes or flick her hair, and you would be on your knees, spilling all she needed to know.
Not only a temptress in seduction, Chuck is pretty sure that if needed, Agent Walker can quell a revolution with a fork.
Don't freak out, Chuck. Don't freak out...
Departing his vehicle, he moves to take a large backpack out of the trunk, putting it to carry over one shoulder as he does so.
Once his backpack is in place, he takes a suitcase out of the trunk and hurriedly moves to close the boot and lock up the vehicle.
Ready to head inside, he takes hold of the carry suitcase and rushes quickly into the main reception hall, passing security checks as soon as possible.
Once cleared from security, he traverses along the corridors as quickly as his legs can carry him, his mind becoming lost in thought as he walks.
Chuck will never refuse any order given to him in the CIA, so long as it's lawful and just. However, the missions he's now regularly sent on are far more fitting to so many other agents out there who are better looking or possess much greater charm than he does. His training at The Farm has given him confidence in spades with the ladies. However, despite that, during those specific sections of training at least, he always came bottom of the class by some margin.
Once he'd graduated from The Farm with top marks overall and received official agent status, Chuck had been teamed with beautiful agents from the CIA, MI6, and a recent DEA agent in the Afghan region. Nevertheless, you can compare no beauty on this earth to the woman he is about to be assigned to work with.
Since learning who she was some time ago, he'd read her file, her mission reports—he admires her work immensely. But until the day he saw a picture of her in her file, he'd never have believed it possible that there is a woman as beautiful as she is.
Chuck soon finally arrives just a few steps outside the Director's office, where he comes to a stop.
Almost ready to step inside, he takes a moment to get his breath back from the long dash he'd just made as his mind starts to zone out in a daydream.
He develops an immediate onset of nerves, knowing he's both late for the briefing and because of the intimidating CIA agent he's about to set eyes on in person—and to work closely in tandem with—for the first time.
Successfully restoring air, Chuck enters the open door and attempts to throw aside his onset of nerves and compose himself as his boss looks up from his desk to meet Chuck's glance...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Finally, Carmichael has arrived.
Sarah is aware of this because the Director is the first to glance out into the hallway.
She promptly turns to look at Agent Carmichael, wholly disinterested in what she's about to see and the inevitable bad attitude that will originate from him, just like all of the other flashy male CIA agents she'd encountered in her six years so far.
Now facing him, Sarah takes in his appearance, noting his height, easily 6"3, his shoulders, to no surprise, broad and well-built, just like the rest of his body.
She can tell he has phenomenal torso definition—and thus, strength—by how tightly his well-fitted suit stuck to him.
In addition to his torso, his thighs are enormous, and his arm strength looks significant.
With her observations of Agent Carmichael's physical appearance complete all in one glance—his body presenting a typical build of a VERY fit clandestine CIA agent—she raises her gaze to look at his face.
He's brown-haired, his hairstyle tidy and well-kept, and his facial features undeniably masculine.
However, what she notices most about his face is undisputedly his eyes—they look kind, a distinct change from what she is used to in this line of work. Their colour: brown, a stunning shade of brown, alluringly appealing that one could get lost looking into.
About his kind eyes, she's not encountered a CIA agent who she could consider kind before, not that Carmichael's eyes are enough for her to conclude that this guy is kind, of course. Nevertheless, she finds his eyes soft and relaxing to look into, which is an unsettling thought.
And after the briefest of seconds—her immediate observations now complete—he steps into the Director's office.
"I'm so sorry, Director, Agent Walker, I have zero excuses for being late!" he says, glancing nervously between the Director, and Sarah, as he moves to take a seat a few steps opposite her. "It's just I have been in a rush like crazy between assignments, and I was packing for Los Angeles to see my sister when I got the call!"
Sarah does an immediate double take, attempting to restart her brain, having had an apology in the first words out of his mouth, his reason for being late, of which she wholly understood his plight, and because she's detected undeniable nerves in both his tone, and the way he is now looking at her.
She'd not expected the great Agent Carmichael to be shy, that's for sure!
"Please, Chuck, no apologies are necessary. I completely understand why you are late, and I am sorry to have called you in. I know I promised you a vacation to spend time with your family, who you have not had the chance to see in a while. But duty calls," Director Graham says, taking a brief pause to glance between Agent Walker and Carmichael. "Agent Carmichael, please allow me to introduce you to Agent Walker."
Agent Carmichael turns to face Sarah, and he nods shyly. "Agent Walker, I–I am so honored to be given a chance to work with you," he says, tripping over his words, his excessive nerves on full display towards her with his speech and body language.
Sarah feels her cheeks flush slightly at the wholly unexpected encounter with the man a few feet from her. She has to admit: this man next to her is incredibly cute. She has encountered a lot in her six years with the CIA, but she has never met an agent who has a clear and undisputable friendly but extremely shy persona about him before, until now... "Please, call me Sarah. It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Carmichael," she says, sporting him a smile through her closed mouth. He may be late, but protocol dictates that I show him warm manners during an introduction. Plus, his reasons for being late I can now understand...
He grins at her, which causes her to blink in sudden surprise because, quite simply, he has the most amazing smile she has ever seen, and she is not even close to exaggerating it.
Sarah finds his eyes quite stunning, but his smile is just as good and can easily rival them. She undisputedly feels a significant attraction towards him—she can feel her skin flush as part of that arousal.
"Please, call me Chuck, and the pleasure is all mine, Sarah," he says as his gaze quickly averts from her to look back at the Director, so she does the same.
"Now, agents, I have closely studied your missions for many months. You both fight very similarly, and you are each comfortable thinking very quickly on your feet. I believe you to be perfectly compatible as partners, so this will be your first mission together. If results are good, you will become permanent partners," the Director says, pausing to allow Sarah and Chuck to register what he'd said.
Sarah adjusts her gaze to look at Chuck again briefly, and he quickly catches her glance.
They quickly turn awkward at the revelation that they will become permanent partners if the mission succeeds.
Breaking their glance from each other, they turn to look at the Director, who continues, "You will attend a formal party at the French Consulate here in D.C. tomorrow. You will insert using the cover of being a married United States couple with a keen interest in politics. Your cover name will be the Andersons. Your assignment is to grab a French citizen and retrieve a micro intelligence chip from him. All I can tell you about what's on the chip is that it is game-changing intelligence. Accommodation has already been arranged, and you will find a small armory available to you inside suitcases at the hotel. Questions?"
Chuck is the first to speak, "Director, who is this French citizen? "
"Pierre Salvatore," Graham says instantly. "Pierre is directly connected to the organization that bombed the Las Vegas hotel last month. We lost seven agents in that explosion, and we believe he plans to use the information on the chip to plot a next attack against the U.S."
As Sarah focuses intensely on the briefing, she sneaks the occasional glance at Agent Carmichael, who is concentrating on everything the Director is saying and he's no longer looking back in her direction.
"Will the target have any backup?" Sarah asks, turning her glance back at her boss.
"That is unknown, Agent Walker. It is possible he may have up to four armed muscle around him, which should not be a problem for either of you with your expertise. You will grab Pierre using whatever means you deem necessary. Alive or dead, the importance is primarily the intel. I would also suggest you spend the next day getting to know each other. My aide out in the hallway will provide you with the necessary files covering the mission and other relevant items of interest, such as your marriage rings," Director Graham says.
Sarah and Chuck nod at their orders.
"That will be all unless you have anything further to add?" the Director asks, glancing at Sarah and Chuck.
However, both agents remain silent.
"Very well. Dismissed," Director Graham closes the briefing.
Sarah promptly moves to stand.
Chuck joins her in the action as they collect their suitcases and backpacks, and turn to depart...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Langston Graham watches on with a sly smirk as his best agents depart his briefing.
The experienced intelligence boss is implicitly aware of the instant attraction his two most capable agents just experienced towards each other. However, as he knows both agents inside out, he's sure that Chuck will be very awkward around the most beautiful agent the long-time Director had ever had working for him.
Due to their conflicting assignments, it has taken the CIA Director a long time to get both of them together in a partnership. However, with Agent Walker and Carmichael now firmly on the same path, the Director intends to cement their newfound partnership and utilize them as the predominant force of all future clandestine operations that requires a spy couple.
Feeling content that he's finally put together the partnership he's always wanted, he returns to his paperwork in a cheerful mood.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Sarah approaches the Director's aide with Chuck to obtain the relevant information about their assignment.
They spend the next few minutes acquiring critical information and essential items such as the hotel booking of the hotel they will be staying at, all relevant information concerning their target, information on their waiting transport to take them to the hotel, and the wedding rings they will use for their cover as the Andersons.
Once they have all of the information, they depart together for the waiting transport to take them to their accommodation.
And as they walk together to exit the facility, Sarah starts to hold an immediate inquisition towards everything that had just happened inside the Director's office.
What the hell just happened? All of my preconceptions about Agent Carmichael as a person were wrong! I expected him to be a typical alpha male CIA agent, a guy with an ego the size of Mount Everest! But clearly, I could not have been more wrong! He could barely even look at me in Graham's office. God, he still can't look at me now, either... It's so awkward because I don't know how to react to this. All of the guys I've been around and worked with in the CIA, hell even marks I've had, have had no issue with being around me, and ALL of them have flirted with me or attempted to flirt, but he's barely even said two words! What I expected going into the briefing couldn't have played out ANY more differently. It would be much easier if he were an ass...but he's handsome, smart, and exceptionally shy. I have no idea how to handle him right now. And GOD, that smile he gave me! Wow!...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Chuck and Sarah depart their transport and move to take out their respective suitcases and backpacks.
Chuck quickly attaches his backpack to his person when he spots Sarah about to do the same. "Can I help to carry it for you?" he asks.
Sarah turns to look at Chuck and becomes lost in thought. "Um..." she hesitantly says after a few seconds because she's never had anybody carry her things for her before, never mind somebody she's only just met, and plus, she doesn't want to take advantage of him because he's already carrying his own backpack and has a travel case to carry in addition.
"Please?" he asks, grinning. "It's no trouble, and I want to help."
After another second of thought, Sarah nods affirmatively.
Chuck grins before he moves to take Sarah's backpack from her.
Once he has it, he attaches it to his free shoulder, then takes expert hold of his suitcase and starts walking to head into the hotel.
Armed with just her carry suitcase, Sarah follows closely behind, observing his significant strength and ease in which he's expertly carrying three large items as they enter the hotel and walk to the check-in desk, where they come to a stop.
The female hotel worker looks up from behind the desk at Chuck and Sarah to greet their arrival.
"Hi. We have a reservation booked. Mr and Mrs Anderson," Chuck says.
The hotel receptionist smiles and says, "We have been expecting you. Your suite is already prepared. I'll just fetch your key card."
Chuck and Sarah nod, pausing in wait as the hotel employee stands, turns, walks to another section behind the desk to collect a keycard, and then returns to their presence.
"Here you are," she says, handing out the key card. "Floor 6, Room 60."
Sarah moves to collect it from out of her hand. "Thanks."
The employee sports the spies another smile. "We very much hope you will enjoy your stay. Room service is twenty-four hours, and please feel free to use any of the vast additional services we offer, all-inclusive."
"Thank you. We will," Chuck says with a grin.
Sarah nods.
Chuck and Sarah then turn, make for the elevator, and enter inside.
Now in the elevator, they turn around, and Sarah extends her arm out to press the floor of their room.
After a brief moment, the elevator doors close, and the lift ascends until coming to a stop.
The doors soon open, and Chuck and Sarah depart as they walk along the hallway until they stop outside their room.
Sarah is about to insert the key card into the door. However, she pauses when Chuck says tongue-in-cheek, "So, will it be a two-bed suite or just the one? Whatcha think?"
She turns to look at him, and detecting his humour, she smirks. "One," she says as her smirk develops into a smile.
Chuck nods, grinning at her before he quickly loses his happiness. "Of course. Part and parcel of who we are, I guess..." he sighs.
Sarah nods, turns to focus her gaze on the door, places the key card into the holder, and opens the door to their room.
She enters inside, and he follows closely behind, closing the door to the room as he enters.
Now inside their place of stay for their duration in D.C., their glance connects onto a large king-size bed in the room—the only sleeping object present in the suite.
After a moment of gazing at the bed, Chuck suddenly whistles to grab Sarah's attention.
She turns to look at him.
Having Sarah's attention, Chuck trails a lone finger around the room, attempting to convey to Sarah that they should sweep for bugs.
Sarah nods, instantly picking up on what he is trying to tell her.
The spies discard their luggage at the suite door and spend the next few minutes sweeping the suite—including the bathroom—for bugs, but they ultimately find nothing.
Returning to each other's position, Sarah says, "All clear."
Chuck nods as they both relax slightly, his gaze soon connecting onto the bed again. "Well, it looks like we were right," he says, nodding at the bed.
Sarah sports him a smile through her closed mouth, then says, "It would look suspicious if we had a two-bed suite while married."
He nods. "I get it. I just think it's very awkward. They didn't tell me I'd be sharing hotel rooms, beds, and bathrooms with my partner when they first recruited me, yet here I am, having done it multiple times already."
"I know, right?" she says as a fully developed smile takes shape.
He suppresses laughter, then says, "But don't worry. I have no intention of intruding on your personal space. I'll be happy to take the floor."
Sarah's breath catches at his declaration, and her gaze breaks from him as she looks at the floor and becomes lost in thought. Returning her glance to him, she says, "You don't have to do that. I don't see why this situation should put out either of us. I'm not more important than you. We both have equal status."
"I know. It's just the gentlemanly thing to do," Chuck says.
"Forget about the gentleman's conduct, I insist," she instructs with a closed smile. "You don't need to treat me like a lady. I'm a spy, first and foremost, and that's how I want to be treated by you for the duration of our assignment. We keep our professional boundaries and don't set any unnecessary personal ones. Plus, I appreciated you carrying my bag."
"Ok," Chuck agrees, nodding.
"Let's head for lunch and get to know each other. Considering our partnership may become permanent, we'll need it," Sarah says.
Chuck nods. "Ok, should I change first?"
Sarah narrows her eye as she registers his question, then takes in his appearance again. "I don't think so. But it's up to you."
Chuck takes a moment, then says, "I think I'll stay as I am."
Sarah nods before they promptly depart.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Chuck and Sarah move to take seats at the restaurant of the hotel and spend the next few minutes ordering lunch.
Once their order is complete, the spies turn their attention toward each other as they exchange a few silent glances.
Chuck can't help but take in Sarah's appearance as she sits just over two feet away, facing him.
She's wearing a business suit which shows off every inch of her perfect figure, with curves in ALL of the right places, and she has her long, blonde hair tied back, her exquisite sapphire orbs sparkling in all of their glory.
He already knew it the moment he looked at her picture, but his new partner truly is flawless!
In the case of Sarah, she is undisputedly one of the rare cases in which she looks even better in person than in picture.
Chuck can't help but feel intimidated in her presence, and not just because of how she looks.
Deadly in looks, she very well is, but his new partner is just as potent as a clandestine operative.
Sarah soon catches his latest glance, quickly detecting him eyeing her up, which is no surprise because every man she had ever been around had done the same thing.
Nevertheless, Sarah can't exactly judge him poorly because she's caught his eyes leering over her—nor did she intend to—because she'd done it towards him when he first arrived for the briefing.
And, she has to admit, she feels a somewhat strange, arousing feeling to have his eye over her, and she knows why.
Because she's attracted to him...
Knowing just how shy her new partner is, she sports him a friendly, welcoming smile hoping to ease his nerves and convey that it's ok for him to be looking at her the way he is, and for as long as he wants to.
Her intervention has the immediate desired effect, as he soon grins back.
She observes his shoulders relaxing further as he does so.
Also knowing she will have to start this conversation, she composes herself by swallowing brief air, then says, "So, Chuck, what's an attractive guy like you doing working in our line of work?"
His cheeks immediately flush, and he averts his gaze away from her in shyness at her compliment. Returning his glance to her a few seconds later, he says, "I was recruited out of Stanford in 2000 as an analyst at first. But after several weeks of the agency convincing me that I had so much more potential than that, Graham soon personally arrived to visit me and persuaded me to undergo the training, offering me a life of great intrigue, which was too exciting to pass on, barely being an adult when it was offered to me."
He pauses for a brief moment of consideration, thinking back to what his mentor, Roan Montgomery, had told him. Roan had said that even though Chuck's combat effectiveness was second to none, his greatest strength was his emotions. No agent could show it except Chuck—the anomaly—who was always kind and honest and ALWAYS maintained his integrity. In tricky situations Chuck has faced so far, he has always attempted to play the negotiator, and he will NEVER leave anybody behind. Chuck has a personal responsibility that if he messes something up, he will personally fix it or go down trying.
Sarah studies her new partner closely during his pause. He seems really uncomfortable talking about himself. He doesn't seem to rate himself as much as Director Graham rates him or the rest of the agency. So much for the arrogant guy who loves himself, huh, Walker?
With his thoughts cleared, he looks back at Sarah with a grin and says, "And what about you, Sarah? Why is the most beautiful woman on the planet working in this line of work? I mean, you're one of the best in our specific line of work worldwide. I've read and admired all of your reports. But you would more than comfortably fit in anywhere in Hollywood with your stunning looks and earn twenty million a year because of them."
Sarah's glance instantly lowers, and she feels her cheeks swell as she blushes immensely over the sincerest compliment anybody has ever paid her!
Her skin soon starts clamming, and she returns her gaze to burn a glance into that pair of kind, warm eyes that are so inviting to look into. "You're so sweet. I like you, Chuck," she admits, bearing him an adoring smile.
It has been a very long time since she last smiled at anybody like she's doing now.
"Sweet? Golly gee, thanks for making me feel like I'm eight," he jokes, returning her warm gaze.
Sarah laughs, her glance remaining locked into his eyes. "You don't look eight," she compliments him. "How old are you?"
"I'm twenty-six," he says, grinning. "And you? Oh, and I know it's inappropriate to ask a girl her age. But you don't like my gentlemanly conduct, so I'm blameless!"
Sarah snorts while holding her gaze but moves to play with her arm in shyness. It's her first hours of knowing him, but he really is impressive company for her to be around. It takes a lot for a guy to capture her attention, but he's doing it and doing it with ease. "I'm twenty-two."
"Wow," he says instantly, doing a double take in shock.
"What?" she asks simply.
He smiles and says, "It's just you hold yourself very well, and you have an impressive level of maturity in your personality. In addition, you don't look twenty-two; you look younger. I don't know how the agency found you, but I do not doubt that every modelling agency worldwide is right now ruing the day they did."
"Thank you," she quickly says, swallowing immediate lumps in her throat, fighting immensely hard not to detach her gaze from his orbs this time, which isn't easy because, for the first time in her life, she now feels exceedingly shy in somebody else's presence.
He sure knows how to make a girl feel happy about herself. Oh, she's sure this man can talk any woman he wants into bed! It's already beyond clear to her that it's no wonder why he's been so successful in the agency so far. He possesses all of the charm required to succeed as a clandestine operative.
And what's refreshing most of all to Sarah is how he goes about it. He hasn't been flashy, confident, or excessively suave in her presence.
Instead, all he has shown her so far is sincerity, albeit somewhat blunt, and friendliness.
And she has to admit:
She likes it.
She likes it a lot.
They share an additional warm gaze until Sarah continues the conversation, joking, "By the way, I wish I earned twenty million a year!"
Chuck laughs softly. "Me too. I don't know about you, but I pick up peanuts compared to that."
"Me too," she quickly agrees as a fully developed smile encompasses her features.
They hold their gaze now in silence for a long moment until it's disturbed by their lunch arriving, which they tuck into for a few minutes.
Pausing from eating, Sarah glances at Chuck, who also catches her gaze and breaks also.
"Once we've finished here, we should head out together and pick up formal attire for the party tomorrow," Sarah suggests.
Chuck nods. "Yeah. But this time, I want to change into something more casual and maybe shower first."
Sarah nods. "Me too."
They continue their lunch until they finish and return to their hotel room.
Entering inside their room, Chuck says, "You should use the bathroom first, and here's the part that sucks and puts us at an inconvenience of having to take turns because being forced to shower with my partner is a bridge too far."
Sarah snorts. "Forced?" she asks as a teasing smirk creeps to take shape. "Would it be so bad?"
He grins, detecting her playfulness. "I'm sure I could suffer through it."
Her gaze lowers to take in his frame before meeting his eyes again. "Me too."
They hold their glance for a final second until Sarah says, "I'll be as quick as I can."
"Take your time," he says, grinning. "Because I will."
"Ok," she says, suppressing laughter before turning, collecting some clothing items from her suitcase, departing for the bathroom, and closing the door.
Now alone, she breathes out a huge sigh, attempting to compose herself.
Since joining the CIA, Sarah has not been short of men around her.
She's gotten intimately close to numerous men, too, in the form of marks or fellow agents or civilians not connected to the spy world during occasional no-strings, one-night stands.
However, she's not felt anything close to the incredible connection she feels towards the man just outside the door behind her!
Taking aside how attractive she finds him to look at, there is just something about his personality that has stimulated her arousal towards him to no end.
He's friendly but shy.
Charming but modest.
Formidable—his reputation in the CIA alone proves it, and then there is his stunning physique—yet easygoing and extremely approachable.
And then, in addition to his outstanding personality, his out-of-this-world smile and gorgeous eyes!
God, Sarah still feels incredibly aroused just by thinking about the package her new partner could offer her, hence her loss of composure at her new partner's hands.
She starts to undress, her mind unable to stop itself from lingering on thoughts about him as she does.
Once she's naked, she enters the walk-in shower, turns on the water, and fights to compose herself and put her attraction and arousal towards him to one side, for now...
Meanwhile, outside in the principal room of the suite, Chuck is attempting to do the same thing.
He glances towards the closed door, his thoughts consumed by Sarah Walker.
Chuck has to impress her.
He has to show that he can be an excellent partner to her.
He already knows from reports that she prefers to work alone, so this is his one big chance to prove his ultimate worth to the agency with the hope of potentially leading his own team one day, maybe with Sarah in it with him, if that's what she wants.
She's undoubtedly the very first name he'd select to work in close partnership with him if she wanted to.
However, it isn't just his professional desire to work with and impress her that he can't stop thinking about.
Instead, and with complete honesty, it's her intoxicating beauty consuming him.
God, she's so beautiful! I knew she would be in person, but she takes it to a completely different level. I've seen some gorgeous women on assignment with the CIA so far... But they don't even come close to how stunning she is! The guy who gets to be with her should thank all his lucky stars, but that guy will never be me because I live on planet earth, and she is SO FAR out of my league!
He breathes out a deep, long sigh, attempting to overcome the overwhelming attraction he feels towards her.
Despite her flawless appearance, we are here to do a job together. I should focus on that and try my best not to be intimidated by her presence...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
It's late evening when Chuck and Sarah finish their activities on the streets of D.C.
They'd spent the past five hours strolling as they continued to get to know each other while searching for the right items to purchase, funded by their CIA-funded bank accounts in their cover names.
Once they'd finished shopping, they headed to eat dinner together, and they had just now departed the restaurant after a magical day in each other's company.
Now armed with numerous bags of shopping containing their outfits and accessories for tomorrow's mission, they depart for their hotel, arriving on the grounds sometime later.
Entering the hotel reception, they move toward the elevator, entering inside as they turn, and Sarah clicks the button which numbers their floor.
Once the elevator closes shut, they pass the time by turning to look at each other, where they share a smile.
"I'm gonna be honest," Chuck says as a grin escapes. "I snuck a look at your outfit despite your best attempts at hiding it from me. You're going to look so great in it, but that's no surprise, 'cause you're already making that beige leather jacket and jeans look like they belong on the front page of every magazine," he says, but he starts to grimace once Sarah shoots him a look in surprise.
"Sorry," he says sheepishly, believing he'd gone too far and overstepped boundaries he hadn't intended to.
"It's ok," she soon says, smiling. "I sneaked a glance at your tux too. And you're going to look just as good as you think I'm going to. You can be sure about that," she says, nodding at him.
"I doubt that," he says, grinning at her compliment, but it fades as he swallows air and turns nervous.
Detecting his nerves and his lack of confidence over his sex appeal—which quite frankly astonishes her because he's a perfect catch—she assertively says, "There's nothing to doubt, Chuck, because it's a fact."
Her assertiveness seems to do the trick because he smiles at her.
She smiles back as the elevator dings open.
Breaking their glance from each other, they turn and depart the elevator, walking the short distance until they arrive outside their room.
They pause for a brief moment as Sarah takes out the key card, inserts it, and they enter their room.
Once inside, because they'd been gone for a few hours, they discard their bags at the door and sweep the suite for any bugs, but like the first time, their checks came back clear.
With not much left for Chuck and Sarah to do other than to choose their weapons, Chuck says, "So, where do you think the cache of weapons the Director promised will be?"
Sarah muses over the question, as does Chuck, as they look around the room until their glance finishes at the bed.
"Under the bed," they say in sync.
They turn back to look at each other and share muted laughter before they proceed to dig out a suitcase from its fixed position under the bed.
Moving to place it on top of the bed, they open it, where their glance connects onto a case full of weapons and ammunition.
They quickly drool at the sight in front of them, like two kids at a candy store.
Sarah's glance soon lingers on her preferred weapon of choice, the Smith & Wesson 5906, while Chuck quickly sets his sights on a SIG Sauer P229.
Taking the sidearms out of the case, they closely inspect the pistols, including the chambers, and then they each take out five ammunition clips and a suppressor.
Turning his attention back to Sarah, he grins at the fondness of which she is handling her weapon. "Not bad," he says.
Sarah meets his glance before her gaze lowers to his hand. "Not bad yourself," she says, smiling back.
Now armed, there is only one thing left to do.
"Well, Chuck, we should plan how to take out Pierre without alerting the entire consulate of our presence."
Chuck nods as the spies move to open the envelope the Director's aide had provided them with.
They closely study the information for a few minutes.
"Well, Sarah, because he's a ladies' man, I guess there's only one option we can take," he says but stops short of saying it because he doesn't want to offend her.
Sarah nods, having also reached the same conclusion as Chuck. "You're right. So, we'll infiltrate as a married couple, then split and work the floor. Once we find Pierre, I'll attempt to lure him into an on-suite consulate room with the suggestion of a good time. If he'd already seen me with you and questions it, I'll say we have an open relationship, which you're ok with, as will I be in any future cover requiring you to get close to somebody once this mission is a success because it will be."
Chuck nods. "I'll follow closely behind as your backup. If you can do it yourself without support, tranquillize him and acquire the intelligence, and I'll be in wait outside. We can hopefully leave without a gunfight if all goes well."
Sarah nods. "But if all goes wrong, we'll take out Pierre, his guards, and make a hot exfiltration and regroup back here."
"Agreed, but Sarah, the consulate guards may get involved in any gunfight, so we need to be aware of that and move fast if the alarm is raised and our cover gets blown. I don't want our cover blown if we can help it because D.C. police will respond quickly to the incident, and then if we're trapped, we'll do twenty years in jail."
Sarah nods. "Or be killed."
"I'll do all I can to prevent that from happening to us. You can trust me to have your back, Sarah. I mean that," he says.
Sarah smiles as they share deep eye contact. "Me too."
After a few seconds, Chuck says, "I think that's everything?"
She nods. "It is."
They then start to relax with their day now at an end.
Chuck soon lets out a yawn, then says, "I don't think there's anything left to do except sleep."
Once Chuck started yawning, it triggered one for Sarah too. "I agree. You can use the bathroom first this time."
"If you're sure?" he asks.
"I am," she says, nodding.
He grins, then goes to turn towards his luggage.
However, Sarah does something she instantly regrets as she takes hold of his arm and pulls him back to face her.
Chuck instantly narrows his eyes in surprise at her actions, and he burns a gaze into her eyes.
"Sorry," she says, smiling. "I just wanted to do this first," she says as she moves into his proximity, which turns him excessively anxious, and she plants the briefest of pecks onto his cheek. "And to say thank you. I've really enjoyed being with you today, from start to end. You're a real gentleman. I just wanted you to know that."
Chuck suddenly starts to grin from ear to ear! "The pleasure is all mine. You're an amazing girl, Sarah," he says straight from the heart.
Joy erupts and lights up Sarah's face.
They share a final glance from their very close proximity until Chuck turns and sets off to collect his nightwear and dental cleaning items, then departs for the bathroom and closes the door.
Sarah waits a few seconds, then flings a hand to cover her mouth in shock at what she just did.
I can't believe I just did that! I've never thanked another agent for their manners and for being very nice to me by kissing them before! Then again, nobody has ever treated me the way Chuck has today, which is why I wanted to thank him. His apology for being late came straight from his heart, and I understood his yearning desire to spend some time away from the job only to be called in just as he was packing for a deserved vacation. He's already complimented me more times than I can count. He's just an amazing guy and whoever gets to be his girlfriend is a very fortunate woman. So far, and on the back of the time we've spent together today, I want him too! But I'm not that lucky...
Gazing towards the bathroom door for a final second, Sarah turns away and heads to her luggage.
She rummages through her belongings for a moment until she takes out a nightie and her dental cleaning items.
The piece of nightwear didn't do all that much to conceal much of her figure. However, nighties provide her with much more all-purpose usage than a pair of pyjamas, which is why she wears nightgowns almost exclusively.
After a few minutes, Chuck departs the bathroom wearing a black top which sticks rather tightly to his torso and a matching black pair of shorts.
Sarah can't help but gaze at him and take in his impressive physique.
Her initial observations at the briefing when she'd first set eyes on him were correct: on multiple counts.
Firstly, his upper body conditioning from his shoulders to his stomach is flawless.
Second, Sarah is quite sure she's never seen a more perfect pair of thighs in her entire life. She is a sucker for thighs, and a beautiful face...
With the CIA's help, Chuck has unquestionably obtained a stunning figure.
"You can use the bathroom now," he says with a grin. "Don't worry, I always clean up and never leave a mess."
She smirks. "I'd kick your ass if you did."
"Noted," he says, suppressing laughter.
Sarah giggles briefly as she collects her nightie, toothbrush and paste, then walks past Chuck and enters the bathroom to prepare for bed.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Chuck is in bed under the covers, pretty zoned out as he reflects on a great first day with his new partner.
In terms of first days with a new partner, today couldn't possibly have gone any better.
To add to his excitement—and it did a great deal—his partner so happens to be the great Sarah Walker.
Chuck isn't sure what he's feeling most mesmerized by because there are multiple contenders.
Firstly, her prowess and efficiency makes her one of the best agents in the world.
Secondly, the way she conducts and presents herself has shown Chuck that Sarah has a maturity far beyond her age of twenty-two; her being just twenty-two is a reason in itself for Chuck to feel as stunned as he is right now.
Thirdly, tomorrow, Chuck will be undertaking a mission with the great Sarah Walker!
Finally, there is the gift that is her beauty. Even if Sarah were a fraction of being as attractive and flawless as Chuck deems her, he'd still be immensely in awe of her as a person.
And then there was the kiss. It was only an innocent peck of the cheek, sure. However, Chuck still feels in immense wonderment that the great Sarah Walker, capable of quelling revolutions and possessing the ability to seduce any man in the world, has taken a liking to him.
Chuck might not be the most capable guy of reading somebody. Still, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that if somebody kisses you after a day of knowing you and the person doing it is a deadly trained spy, then clearly, he must have been doing something right today.
He can't wipe the grin off his face as the door to the bathroom opens, and Sarah promptly steps into view.
But she can wipe it from his face!
Chuck's grin instantly fades and is replaced by his jaw dropping at her chosen sleeping attire.
"I'm freaking out!" he says under his breath as he can only gape at her as she meets his gaze, smiling at him as she approaches the bed.
Chuck tries to control and stem the immense arousal he is feeling right now towards her, but he can't help it.
He's a goner.
He's defeated.
He's completely under her spell!
The nightie she's wearing shows off every inch of her golden, perfect legs.
It doesn't leave much to the imagination at the top of her, either, as a sizeable portion of her cleavage is on display!
Chuck swallows air nervously as she arrives at the bed and climbs inside, suddenly feeling very anxious that he's now sharing a bed with a living, breathing goddess!
He pauses, looking ahead of him for a long moment as he registers the most sublime sight he's just seen until he finally turns to look at her, and she does the same.
However, now feeling excessively tense around his perfect partner again, he doesn't know what to say, so he says simply, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she replies.
They soon turn away from each other, though it takes an extended period for them to drift off to sleep, each distracted by intimate thoughts about the person lying less than a foot behind them...
That's a wrap on the first chapter. Thanks for reading. If there is anything you would like to comment on, please feel free to leave a review. I promise to read and respond to all respectful reviews no matter how many years have passed since I first published my projects. But if you intend to leave a review just to attack me, my writing, or any other attempt to subject me to toxicity, then don't bother and just go and read something else :)
And now for a few brief footnotes about the premise of Love-Struck Spies:
1) Because the writing of canon was quite literally ALL OVER THE PLACE, I have no idea of Sarah's actual age at the start of the pilot. Some say she's 25, some 27. I have even seen a 26 suggestion floating around. Anyway, it doesn't matter because I would have had Sarah's starting age as 22 regardless.
2) I'm fully aware that you need a degree for some things in the CIA, which is why they probably had Sarah attend Harvard (although it's not mentioned anywhere except an off-screen NBC dossier). However, I always deemed a girl on the run and focused on pulling scams with her father—rather than her education—would not have ANYWHERE near close to the required grades to be accepted into such an esteemed college with just a 5% acceptance rate. In addition, when factoring in that Sarah was recruited into the CIA at 18 in canon, spends four years at Harvard, one year with Secret Service, x year/s with CAT Squad, a partnership with Bryce, Red Test, Ryker, amongst other things, I never could get my head around how ALL OF THAT as well as pilot training (which is extensive) could be fitted in if she was 27, nevermind 25!
3) Chuck is 26 here at the start in 2005, despite being 26 at canon start in 2007. However, like I deemed the change in age necessary for Sarah, I believe it essential for Chuck in a different way because he was well into his Stanford diploma when the CIA first found him. So, by the time he completed the degree, underwent all of the training, and started assignments for the CIA, I would not have had enough time for the 2005 start point. And 2005 is an essential time-point because instead of Bryce being Sarah's first partner as the Andersons, it's Chuck.
4) Love-Struck Spies follows the Chuck universe's portrayal of the intelligence community, NOT the real-life version. Unlike most of my newer stories, Love-Struck Spies will not attempt to take on a realistic approach to espionage. Instead, just like canon and James Bond, superspies and ALL that entails that job description will be rampant within the story.
