Disclaimer: I do not own Chuck but if I did, then there would be no situation like the writers did with Charah in Prague.


Love-Struck Spies

Chapter Three, Loving Girlfriend


Wednesday, 30 November 2005

Washington DC

00:30 Hours

Galaxy Quest had just finished playing on the T.V. When the movie had first started, Sarah seemed disinterested, but she quickly picked up on the humor, and Sarah and Chuck were in a constant state of laughter.

Sarah was at peace.

She had never felt this warm and secure since she was a little girl, which was crazy because she had only known him for two days. Even before Graham had recruited her into the Agency, all of her time was spent on the run with her father constantly looking over her shoulder. It felt so good to be leaning against her partner.

She trusted him.

After everything that had happened to her in this difficult juncture of her life, he was everything she needed right now and more as she started to become more and more attached to his infectious warmth. She didn't even know it was happening, and she would be totally powerless to stop it even if she did.

For Chuck, relaxing in front of the T.V. was the best way to detach yourself from the horrors of taking another person's life. It was not pleasant in the slightest bit, but he did what had to be done. Chuck did it for the greater good. If the two agents had not eliminated the threat of Pierre, then how many more innocent people or colleagues of theirs would have been killed in his next act of terrorism? Chuck's thoughts had drifted back to the mission in Las Vegas, where the CIA lost seven agents. Chuck personally knew two of the agents who had lost their lives in that explosion. And as comfortable as Chuck was wrapped tightly with his colleague, Chuck doesn't know what to do. Chuck needed to sleep. Agents were programmed to sleep whenever they could because they don't know when they would next get the opportunity, but it was not as easy as that for Chuck, though.

Chuck couldn't just simply shut off his emotions after a firefight.

Ellie did not raise him to be like that.

Sarah had fallen asleep just one hour through the movie. It had been a long day, and she never got much sleep the night before. Sarah's head was resting on his shoulder with her right arm wrapped securely around his back. Chuck decided that he needed to try and move his partner to her hotel room without disturbing her for several reasons. Firstly, he didn't want to wake her as she seemed so settled and at peace. And secondly, it never goes down well to wake a sleeping agent. Agents are programmed to react instantly to sudden movement and treat it as a threat, and he was getting on so well with her and certainly did not want that situation to arise!

Chuck carefully adjusted his arm around her back, and he positioned his other arm under both of her legs. She is reasonably light, which Chuck did not expect after seeing her fighting ability. Sarah moved to burrow closer to the warmth of him. Even in her sleep state, she could tell when Chuck tried to get away, and she just moved closer, not allowing anything to separate her from his warmth.

Chuck moved carefully as he carried her towards the door while being well aware that his colleague had tightened her grip on him. He opened the door leading into Sarah's room, and on entering, he paused for a moment to figure out how to put Sarah under the bed covers without any disturbance. Chuck had sneaked into presidential palaces without making a single sound, but at this particular moment, he felt like this was his most important task. He carefully gripped hold of Sarah while pulling the bed sheets back, and he gently lowered Sarah onto the mattress. Sarah let out the slightest of groans hoping that the comforting feeling that she felt at this particular moment would still be there when she woke up. Chuck finally wrapped the covers over his sleeping partner, and he paused as he admired just how beautiful she looked when she was peaceful before he finally then began to retrace his footsteps creeping out of the room. Once he departed, he closed the door gently after him.

Chuck needed to go for a run right now to clear his mind. He knew though that he would never be able to do that because they have vital intelligence, and his partner was asleep, and he would never leave her alone in a dangerous situation. The situation was just far too serious for Chuck to leave, so he headed for his own bed. Chuck then drifted off to sleep moderately happy that he and Sarah were becoming more closer and while feeling satisfied that their mission was a complete success...

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

Washington DC

07:45 Hours

Sarah had not long woke, and she was now thinking about last night. She was thinking about how amazing it felt to be close to her colleague. Sarah was particularly worried about that because she didn't know how to be close to somebody. But she was, more importantly, thinking about something else that had happened last night. Sarah knew the signs. Hell, she even had them herself. The past year had taken a massive toll out on Sarah. Her previous two missions before her latest with Chuck had been the most difficult things she has had to do in her entire life. Firstly, she had her red test, which was the worst moment in her life, and then before being assigned this mission with Chuck, she was sent to Budapest under the direction of her handler, Kieran Ryker. That mission, just like her red test, was another awful moment in her life.

So, Sarah could easily see the demons that were haunting Chuck caused by him having to execute Pierre. She made an instant mental note to talk with her partner about it. Chuck was a quiet, shy, and nervous guy. Actions like that would no doubt be tearing his mind apart. She wasn't concerned about his ability. He was a top spy and probably as good as she was. She knew that if in that impossible situation again, he would have done the same as what he had last night, but sometimes it just helps to talk. But talking was not something that she was good with. Sarah Walker was an actions speak louder than words woman, but she had a responsibility now, which was to be there for her partner. And inside, she wanted to be there for him. That thought again petrified the living daylights out of her.

Sarah got up out of bed while noticing that she was still in her evening wear from last night. She instantly headed to freshen up, but she had to hurry because an agent would arrive to collect the intelligence they had retrieved at 09:00.

As Sarah continued to freshen herself up, she remembered being on the couch snuggled up to Chuck as if he was her teddy bear. Sarah remembered laughing hysterically at what turned out to be a pretty good movie and then falling asleep next to him. She was exhausted after expending a tremendous amount of adrenaline at the Consulate. He must have put her to bed. A bright smile escaped from her lips as she thought about Chuck. Handsome and caring... Not a bad combination, Walker

Once fresh, Sarah ordered some room service, and she decided to order breakfast for Chuck too.

Pancakes. Mmm

Neither Agent had eaten much yesterday as they were in mission mode for most of that day.

A short while later, room service arrived, and there were less than fifty minutes until the drop was to be made, and there was still time. Still, Sarah needed to hurry, so she headed to give Chuck a wake-up call to return the favor for him putting her to bed last night as thoughts again entered her mind of how sweet of him that was.

Arriving inside the room, she noted as Chuck was still fast asleep.

Sarah did not want to spook Chuck.

Never startle an agent, ever.

All agents were programmed to react to sudden movement instantly and to treat it as a threat and Chuck was just starting to be more comfortable around her, so the last thing she wanted was to see the Chuck from the Director's office return who tripped over every one of his words around her.

Sarah worked better with somebody she could connect with one hundred percent as equals.

Sarah noticed Chuck's long brown messy hair, and frankly, he looked incredibly sexy when he was peaceful, but now wasn't the time for lady thoughts. They needed to be alert when making the drop, so she put them all to the back of her mind once more.

"Chuck," she called out to him.

It took one more slightly louder call before he came to, and he took a minute to adjust his sights.

"Hi, Chuck," Sarah said with a warm smile.

"Hi, Sarah. How did you sleep?" Chuck asked while still attempting to wake up.

There it is again. Chuck putting my well being before his own

"I slept great. Thank you for putting me to bed. It was cute. How did you sleep, Chuck?" she asked.

Chuck blushed for a short moment. "I slept well! I'm glad you did too. Thank you, Sarah," Chuck said before giving Sarah a smile that seemed only to be reserved for her. Sarah felt her heartstrings pull as she was certainly becoming used to seeing that smile.

"Breakfast is waiting in my room," she stated before returning a smile equally as cute as she then departed back into her room to retrieve her weapon. Carelessness gets you killed, Sarah

Chuck was now focused on the drop as he quickly freshened himself up, and he then entered into Sarah's room. "Wow, Sarah, you sure do know how to make a man happy. Pancakes, my favorite!" he said as he then gave her his famous Bartowski eyebrow dance, and Sarah blushed, and she had to look away from him and to stare at a white ceiling to regain her composure.

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

Washington DC

08:55 Hours

Agents Walker and Carmichael were inside Sarah's room, waiting with the package ready. Upon the arrival of the Agent that Graham was sending, Sarah would open the door while Chuck would remain back but with a complete view of the door to cover Sarah in case of it being a hostile contact.

They were both still in pause when they heard the door knock three times. Suddenly, they were on their feet as Sarah began to make sure her holstered Smith & Wesson was positioned correctly in case she needed to draw. While Chuck positioned his sidearm out of sight but it had already been drawn. Chuck had also placed and concealed an MP5 submachine gun under the bedsheets just a few yards away. The submachine gun was a standard operating procedure to fortify a location that clandestine agents stay at. It was provided in the suitcases that the Director had arranged to be left before their arrival.

Sarah answered the door and her gaze connected onto a man in a suit who she received a nod from. "Agent Walker? he asked.

Sarah began to scan the man in the suit to determine if he was a threat to her or her partner before she proceeded to repeat the coded phrase. "I love Vegas this time of year," she said as she continued to scan the man in the suit for any reaction from him, and he seemed to relax.

"Yes, but it always snows in Vegas," the man in the suit said.

Sarah nodded as she received official confirmation that the man in the suit was, in fact, Graham's Agent, and Chuck immediately eased off as Sarah handed over the package.

"Thank you," the Agent said, and Sarah nodded at him as the Agent began to walk away, and Sarah closed the door.

The last part of their mission was now complete.

Agents Walker and Carmichael waited cautiously for a few anxious minutes before finally returning to ordinary human beings instead of highly trained spies.

A smile formed as Sarah glanced at her new partner. "So, Chuck," Sarah began, "What would you like to do today?" she asked him as they now both have free time until 15:00, where they should report to Langley to meet the Director for a debriefing.

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

10:00 D.C.

Chuck and Sarah had opted to go to the gym together. On arrival, they both seemed to become visibly excited at the prospect of testing each other's stamina.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you flat out on your feet," Chuck joked.

"In your dreams. But now that you mention it, I'll remind you of your words when it's you on the deck instead," she replied with a loving smile.

They then began to use two treadmills side by side, and they started slowly at first, but they slowly but surely began to increase the pace, and Sarah loved every minute of it as she glanced at her new partner next to her.

"You can slow down if you want," Chuck said.

"Now, why in good heavens would I want to do that?" she retorted as she picked up the pace even more.

After a few more minutes on the treadmills, they moved on to numerous other machines present inside of the hotel gym.

"It's not too late to stop, Sarah. You're looking a little out of it there, old-timer," Chuck joked, and he was met with a punch into his physique, and he chuckled in approval of her actions.

Chuck continued with his ribbing of Sarah for a while longer as they pushed each other as far as they could possibly go.

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

13:00 D.C.

Sarah and Chuck were now back at their shared hotel suite, and they had showered in their respective rooms after their little skirmish in the hotel gym, which neither of them had won, and they had concluded that a draw would be fair because both agents had very high endurance levels. It had taken a little persuasion from Chuck to convince Sarah that was the right conclusion however as Sarah was a true competitor and she had a pure desire to win, and even though she would not admit it to him, she was happy to accept the draw when she realized he would not concede defeat under any circumstance.

It was now almost time for Chuck and Sarah to depart for Langley for a debriefing and quite possibly a permanent partnership. The two agents began to start their clean-up operation in the hotel suite making sure to leave no trace of the Agency behind. Once they had completed their full sweep of both rooms, they departed the hotel full of smiles aimed purely at each other.

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

CIA Headquarters

Director Graham's Office

14:30

"Are you absolutely certain that was the information that was on the chip?" the Director asked one of his senior analysts who was in a conference with him.

"Positive, sir."

"That will be all, Manoosh," the Director said as he then picked up his secure landline while not paying any attention to Deepak's departure from the room.

Director Graham quickly got onto his secure landline, and he punched in the number of the Joint Intelligence Committee. He spoke quickly to the person on the other end of the phone that had answered almost immediately.

"Are you absolutely sure," came the reply from the other end of the call.

"Yes, positive," the Director replied as the call then ended.

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

CIA Headquarters

14:55 hours

As Agents Walker and Carmichael entered into Langley, they provided their identification, but it really was not necessary because they were the CIA's best Agents. Everybody with enough clearance knew of their exploits, but protocol was protocol. After passing through security, they then both began to head towards the Director's office while receiving nods from staff going about their usual business. As they arrived at Director Graham's office, they walked over to the Director's secretary.

"Director Graham is expecting you both. And he will see you momentarily," the secretary said.

Agents Walker and Carmichael nodded as they moved to take a seat next to each other. On sitting, Chuck and Sarah shared a warm gaze.

They had been here only two days ago, but so much had changed since then. Chuck and Sarah were both initially reluctant to work together, but they were now secretly hoping that they would become permanent partners together.

Chuck sat patiently as he gazed into her sapphire eyes. In contrast, Sarah sat quietly as she looked right back at him into his chocolate eyes as they both became lost in the alluring orbs of each other again, just like they had done so only forty-eight hours ago.

The Director appeared after several minutes—once again with an inside grin that could not be noticed from an outside perspective because his two best Agents could not take their eyes of off each other— and he walked towards their location while he joked to himself that he had just played cupid with his two best Agents. And that was after all his actual objective, to begin with...

"Agents?" he stated simply.

Sarah and Chuck snapped out of their gaze, and they followed the Director into his office.

On arrival inside his office, and moving to sit down, Agent's Walker and Carmichael then sat in silence as they awaited the Director to begin the debriefing.

"Firstly, great job you did yesterday. You took out Pierre and some of his key associates," the Director said and stopped momentarily to let his praise sink in.

'No mention of the collateral damage in regards to the security guards,' Chuck and Sarah thought to themselves. But there would not be, to the Director, they were just more confirmed kills. If Sarah hadn't disabled have them, then Chuck would have been dead and quite possibly her too.

"You also completed the primary objective of retrieving the intelligence."

Chuck's curiosity got the better of him, "Sir, may I ask what was on that intelligence chip?"

Sarah glanced at Chuck, briefly to query his question before she promptly nodded her head in agreement because she was also curious.

The Director paused for a moment in contemplation of Chuck's request to him. "Sorry, that information is need to know, and right now, you do not need to know. You know me, Agents, I try to provide you with as much detail as I can,"

Chuck and Sarah both nodded to agree that the Director rarely held anything back from either of them.

"But this information is above your pay grade."

Sarah and Chuck did an immediate double-take. They were the best Agents in the CIA. Who else was above their pay grade? They didn't have time to reflect because the debrief continued.

"Now, back to business. I am going, to be frank with both of you. I have been trying to get you both into the field as a team for several months now. The previous assignments that consisted of you both having a partner were..." There was now an awkward pause in the air as both Agents waited for the inevitable to be brought back into question.

"Firstly, there was Agent Walker's short-lived partnership with another agent, who spent a month in recovery with a broken hand after making an advance towards her." Chuck's eyes widened upon hearing that. A man should always respect a woman no matter what, whether he was a Secret Agent or wasn't one. Sarah, meanwhile, she couldn't hide her grin on being reminded of that night.

"Then..." the Director said as he looked at Chuck.

Sarah was listening intensely.

"You blew a two-month operation in Afghanistan because you wouldn't sleep with another agent, and you got into an argument about the its and bits about it."

Sarah began to fill up with anger on hearing Director Graham's revelation. Sarah cannot fathom how an agent could have made a move on Chuck and throw themselves on him in the middle of an operation. Sarah would be the first one to admit that she found her fellow Agent incredibly sexy but advance on him while in the middle of an operation? Never in a million years...

The Director then continued, "It wasn't possible at that time because Agent Walker was stationed in Budapest, so I am sorry to have canceled both of your leave, but my team has spent many months putting this together."

"Sir," both Agents objected, but Chuck had managed to beat Sarah to it, so she let him continue.

"Sir, you do not have to apologize, and for the record, I have completely enjoyed spending all of my time with Agent Walker anyway," he said as he turned to Sarah, and they shared a nod of their heads.

"Me too, Director," Sarah promptly agreed.

She had forgotten all about that visit to St. Tropez now.

She had everything that she wanted and needed right in this room.

Chuck gave her the slightest of smiles, which she returned.

The Director continued, "Great, then neither of you will have a problem with me making your positions more permanent?"

"No, sir," Sarah beat Chuck this time, and she triumphantly congratulated herself inside of her head.

Chuck gave her the playful defeatist look.

"I expected nothing less from either of you. Your dedication to this Agency will never go unnoticed, and it thanks you for your constant personal sacrifices."

The Director knew that they hadn't just agreed to become partners for the good of the Agency, but he wasn't going to tell them that, and frankly, he didn't care. He had finally got the best team he had seen in over twenty years together. He watched the video surveillance of the French Consulate, and in action together, both of them were a force to be reckoned with. 'May god help the enemies of this Agency,' he chuckled to himself inside his sadistic head once more.

Agents Walker and Carmichael were on cloud nine right now. Forget all of that bureaucracy bullshit that the Director had just come out with. To both of them, they had not made any personal sacrifice. Actually, in both of their eyes, they had both personally gained from the situation, and smiles erupted on both of their faces. The Director then continued after giving them a moment to take in the good news.

He addressed them on a first name basis this time as they were about to make life-changing decisions.

"There is just one more thing to be sorted out. You will stay primarily in L.A. and Sarah; you will still resume the alias of Sarah Walker."

Sarah nodded in acceptance of the Director's demands.

"Chuck, you will resume the name of one Charles Bartowski."

Chuck nodded his head for a minute to take in what the Director had said, and then it hit him...

"Director, excuse me, did you just say that I will assume my real identity?" he asked gobsmacked.

"Yes," the Director replied bluntly. "Chuck, we have an area of operation around your original location, and nobody will suspect you to be CIA because that is where you grew up. Sarah, you and Chuck will be a couple deeply in love. You will be his loving girlfriend."

Sarah nodded her head in strong acceptance with a bright smile on her face. I have everything that I need right here in this room

"Uhhh..." is all Chuck that could muster as a response.

Sarah's eyebrows sunk into a frown as she immediately started to worry that he did not want her as his girlfriend. She felt rather undeniably disappointed at the revelation.

"Excuse me?" the Director responded.

"Sir, what I mean by that is, my uh, my family and all of my friends are in Burbank... what am I supposed to do? I haven't seen my sister in two years since I moved to D.C. she thinks I am a government analyst..."

Sarah breathed out a deep sigh of relief that Chuck's hesitation was not because of what the Director had said about them becoming a couple in love. Nevertheless, she could see that Chuck was freaking out right now, and she felt heartbroken for him. All she wanted to do right now was to grab his hand with her own because she knew just how much he loved his sister more than anything, and he wants to keep her safe, but she knew there would be no reasoning with the Director. His word was always final.

"Chuck, in due course, you will see my reasoning for this posting, but you just have to trust me. Besides, you and Sarah are the best agents I have seen in over twenty years. If there was ever any trouble, you would both be close enough to help out your family."

Chuck began to ease slightly. He was panicking right now because he loved his sister so much and never wanted to see her hurt, but he trusted Sarah with his own life, and he would now have to trust her with Ellie's life also.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Chuck finally grinned at the Director.

The Director returned the grin. "No, Chuck, you don't."

"Now, Agents, onto your first assignment as a couple. You will leave for Los Angeles immediately, and a private jet has already been put on alert. Based on the intelligence provided from chip we recovered, there was information of an enemy base near to our Area of Operations, and there was also intelligence on the chip to suggest that one of our agents has been captured and is being held there. We are still cracking all of the codes on the chip, but I want you wheels up and ready to hit the compound. There will be no surprises this time. You will encounter hostile resistance. More information on the Agent and your backup teams will be provided from the air, dismissed," the Director finished the briefing.

"Yes, sir," Chuck and Sarah replied as they both began to stand up together, and they then began to depart from out of their boss's office while they were both feeling a little overwhelmed right now by the information they had just received. Firstly, they were heavily congratulated on their successful mission. Then they were kept from receiving information. Then they found out that the Director had been planning their new partnership for months. Then they had to re-live their encounters with two mysterious agents who the Director had not named. Then they both wondered what this Area of Operation was and why they had not heard of it before today. Why would they only hear of the reasoning in due course? Then they both admitted to the Director that they liked spending time with each other. Then both agents who once upon a time preferred to work alone had now become permanently joined together. There were no complaints from either of them there. And finally, they would also be moving to L.A. under cover of being a madly in love couple. They could both probably, maybe, absolutely live with that!

They then left the Director's office and went to receive information, mission papers, and other things of importance from the secretary.

Sarah needed to make sure that Chuck was okay as the Director had sucker-punched him by forcing him to connect with his old life again. She tried to lighten up the mood by saying, "So, Chuck Bartowski, huh, cute name!" as she smiled affectionately at him.

Chuck immediately calmed himself at the sight of Sarah's amazing smile. It was enough to weaken all of his walls that he had been trained to build.

"Sarah... what am I supposed to say to my sister?" Chuck asked her, and Sarah didn't know how to respond to that.

Sarah was never good with words, so she did all she knows best; she closed the distance between herself and him, and she hugged him, rather tightly. She quickly felt his shoulders ease into her embrace, and even her own tension disappeared when he returned the hug, and he wrapped his arms around her. The newly formed spy couple stood locked like this for a short while before they pulled back slightly, and with his face now being held in her hands, she told him, "Don't worry, Chuck, we'll figure this out together. We're partners now. Trust me, Chuck," as she gazed into his eyes with a loving smile.

"I do," he replied instantly as they stared into each other's eyes and Sarah felt her heartstrings pull because she could see in his eyes that he did not doubt a single word she had just said to him and she watched as a colossal grin began to form on his face that made her feel weak at her knees. Nobody had ever treated her like this, and it filled her with such power to know that somebody trusted her implicitly, and he'd only known her for a few days.

You have found a keeper, Walker!

And with both halves of the new spy couple feeling happier than they could ever remember, they began to head arm in arm to the rendezvous to board the private jet to take them to Los Angeles to start their new lives together.