I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything.

This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old. This is the chapter that will probably change the most. In fact, there will be more chapters in the rewrite. Sarah Walker doesn't cry. She makes other people cry. There will maybe be a little more description of adult things that were implied in the original, but still firmly T.

Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well.

The Ex

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah looked at her ex standing there for a long moment and finally lowered her gun. "Bryce," she exclaimed. "It's four in the morning. What in the world are you doing here?"

Bryce looked around, obviously taking in the scene. It wasn't hard to figure out that Sarah was naked under the t-shirt that she barely had in place in time to avoid him getting even more of an eyeful than he already was. With the light behind her, Chuck's plain white t-shirt hid nothing of her curves anyway. Chuck was just pulling on his pants. "I just talked to General Beckman," Bryce explained. "I want to talk to you about your mission. Do you think you could make some coffee? We'll need to be alert for this."

Sarah lived in a hotel room. It didn't really have a kitchen. But there was a microwave and coffee pot. That was good enough. As Sarah went to start the coffee maker, Bryce turned to Chuck. "I'm very surprised to see you here," he said. "Are you working on your cover?"

Chuck considered how to answer. In the first place, why would Bryce come to Sarah's room at four in the morning if he thought she'd be alone? When he answered his own question, he didn't much like the answer. He wasn't allowed much jealousy. But it had to be okay in this circumstance, didn't it? By the look on Bryce's face, he had already guessed the situation, right? How could he not? Why else would they both be naked at four in the morning? But this was complicated… even more than usual. Chuck didn't know a lot about Sarah's relationship with Bryce. This was something that Sarah should probably explain to him to let him down easy. Maybe he should find an excuse to leave and give them some privacy. And since Chuck was already an expert in playing dumb… well, you might as well use your skills. "Something like that," he replied hesitantly.

Sarah was just waiting for Bryce to pounce on Chuck. That was pretty predictable. Like he really wanted coffee at four in the morning. So she wasn't nearly as hesitant. "Bryce," she called. "Chuck and I are together." So much for letting him down easy.

Bryce stood and processed her words carefully. "Together?" he asked incredulously. "What does that mean? Like a couple? Cover together or real together?"

There was one good thing about today's talk with Carina, and the associated heartache. Sarah had learned her lesson. Chuck deserved to know where he stood with her. This was an awkward situation, but she was no longer prepared to dance around. "Together, together," she replied. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Bryce was plainly searching for words. "I might," he replied. "Sarah, this is disappointing. You're supposed to be a professional. Since when are you sleeping with your asset?"

Chuck didn't exactly know where this was going, but he did know that it wasn't going well. He stepped in between them trying to defuse the tense situation. "Since we're in love," he said, looking to Sarah for reassurance.

Bryce did a clear double take. "Love?" he asked mockingly. "Love? Chuck, Sarah is a spy. Spies don't fall in love…especially not with an asset."

There was another good thing about his talk with Carina. Chuck had already had his fill of spies lecturing him on love… especially ones who knew absolutely nothing about the subject. "No, Bryce," he replied pointedly. "Sarah is a person first. She just happens to also be a spy. I'm going to have to insist that you respect that distinction."

Now it was Sarah's turn to try and defuse a tense situation. "Let's calm down," she suggested as she put her arm around Chuck's waist. "Bryce, we're in love. Quite frankly, I'm not really asking for your approval. I am sorry that you had to find out like this. That wasn't my plan. I was going to tell you. This is the sort of thing that happens when you show up in our bedroom uninvited at four in the morning. But we are in love. That is the reality and it's not going to change. Deal with it."

Bryce started laughing. "You're pulling my leg," he said. "I would never have guessed this in a million years."

Chuck and Sarah had the same reaction… and they expressed it at the same time. "Why?"

Bryce starred at Sarah. "You're still in love with me," he said. "Sarah, if you just needed to get laid, you should have called me. I know how that is." He turned to Chuck. "And Chuck, buddy. Look at her… then look in the mirror. I love you man, but you have to admit, she's totally out of your league."

That was the one thing he could have said that would hit a nerve. Chuck already knew that he was right. He told himself the same thing several times a day. Sarah was a thousand miles out of his league. He just looked at the floor and nodded sadly.

Sarah saw Chuck's reaction… and instantly saw red. It was the very last thing that he needed to hear… especially today. If he hadn't been strategically standing between them, Bryce would have tasted her left foot and hit the floor semi-conscious. The t-shirt she was barely wearing was perfect for throwing a kick. "You arrogant, egocentric son of a bitch," she bristled. "Let me tell you something. I'll use small words so you can understand. First, I was never in love with you. You're deceiving yourself. And you were never in love with me. That was pretty plain. Whatever we once had is so over. It has been for a long time. Even that's not accurate. We're not over… we never were. We were partners who hooked up, never more. Second, let me tell you a little something about this man that you're talking down to. Chuck is the most genuine, gentle, sweetest person I've ever met. He's more of a hero than you and I put together. I can't believe that he'd be interested in me. But he loves me… for me. If anyone is out of their league in this relationship, he's out of mine. I don't know how to tell you this plainly enough so you'll understand. I'm in love with him. We protect each other. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him. So here is my one time warning to you. I strongly suggest that you wipe that patronizing smirk off your face. Disrespect my amazing fiancé again, and I'm going to wipe the floor with it. Now, tell us what you want or get the fuck out of our bedroom."

Bryce actually smiled at her rant. She wasn't kidding at all. It sure wouldn't be the first time that this hothead used his face to wipe the floor. That was the Sarah he knew. "Let's calm down," he said. "Sarah, you always get too emotional. I'm here because I need your help with Fulcrum."

That was probably the only thing that Bryce could have said that wouldn't have ended the conversation. In spite of his faults, Bryce was still a great agent. Fulcrum was the thing that stood in the way of the life with Chuck that she desperately wanted. "I'm listening," she said.

After Chuck handed him his cup of coffee, Bryce carefully sipped it. "I understand that this Jim Smith has offered to introduce you to the Fulcrum Regional Commander today," Bryce began. "Regional Commander is just another word for Elder. Beckman tells me that your plan calls for you to take the Elder and Smith out as soon as the introduction is over. I don't want you to do that."

Sarah thought about it for a second. "Why?" she asked.

"Think about the opportunity," Bryce continued. "If we capture the Elder, that's a nice win. You might be able to put a serious crimp in the entire west coast operation… for a while. But Fulcrum will still survive. Now if you could infiltrate the Fulcrum organization, we could possibly take the whole thing down. I'm thinking that you would meet with this guy, agree to join Fulcrum, and possibly take a couple of assignments to prove your loyalty to them. Then you'll have their confidence and we can finally have someone on the inside. Maybe you could even get close to the Elder and be in their inner circle. Imagine what an Elder's girlfriend could find out about their plans."

Chuck had been standing there listening. "I have two problems with that," he said. "First, it's way too dangerous. Fulcrum isn't stupid. They would be watching any new recruit like a hawk for a long time. Second, Sarah would have to do a lot more than perform a couple of assignments. She already made a deal to be his plaything to even get this far. If she were to keep up her cover for the months you're talking about, she'd have to spend a lot of that time on her knees."

"Of course she would," Bryce agreed. "So what? That's how she would gain the Elder's confidence. Look at her. Can you imagine any man not giving her a chance to hit her knees? It's what long term undercover assignments are."

"That's unacceptable to me," Chuck insisted. "It's not worth it."

"Chuck, try and understand," Bryce said. "Sarah is a spy. She does whatever is required for the mission. Spending some nights with this guy is no big deal. If you're worried about her knees, let me assure you from personal experience, they're in great shape. If she's as 'in love' with you as she claims, I'm stunned that you don't already know that. And missions? She's done this plenty of times. I can't tell you how many times it happened when we were together. It never bothered me."

Sarah bristled at the implied shot Bryce just took. Not only was it meant to hurt Chuck, it wasn't even close to being true… and he damn well knew it. It was something that she'd have to explain fully to Chuck later.

But Chuck beat her to it. He actually laughed at the condescending tone. "It sort of makes you wonder why you're not still together," he replied sarcastically. "Doesn't it? You crack me up. Boasting about your sex life in front of me? Really? I'm not sure why I expected a little more class from you… but I did. You come in here thinking that she loves you and you treat her like this? As the one person in this room who actually does love her, allow me to ask you a question on her behalf. Let's assume these men were gay. Would you come over and be their plaything for months to gain his confidence? I assume your knees would be up to it."

"That's not the same thing," Bryce answered. "Of course not."

Chuck pushed his advantage. "It's a lot easier when it's Sarah who's on her knees," he said. "Isn't it?"

Bryce knew that this conversation wasn't going his way. "Sarah," he said as he stood and walked to the door. "We both know that I can't order you to do this. Beckman said it was your decision. You know this is the right thing. You can't let some fling cause you to shirk your duty. Please try to talk some sense into him."

"Call Beckman and let her know whatever you decide."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Bryce left, Chuck turned to Sarah. "What happed to him?" he asked. "He wasn't like this. He was my best friend."

Sarah looked at him sadly. "This is what I've been trying to tell you for the past ten days," she said. "He became a spy. Spies are different. That's what this life turns you into."

"Is he going to rat us out?"

Sarah carefully considered how much to tell him. The truth was that Bryce was probably currently heading to talk to Beckman. But on the way he would stop, think this through, and see it as an opportunity. That was all pretty predictable. Since sex was his standard currency, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what the price would be for his silence. She didn't want to hide anything from Chuck. But she also didn't want to put an unpleasant thought in his head, especially since it was never going to happen. So she settled for half the truth. "Don't worry about Bryce," she said. "I have a plan."

Chuck thought for a moment. "I'm sorry for how this is going to sound," he said. "But I know him. He's someplace right now calculating what price you'll pay to keep our secret. I'm afraid that it involves your knees."

Sarah looked at him standing there grinning. He really wasn't a spy… but he was a fast learner. At least he was teasing about it… mostly anyway. Bryce was always going to be a sensitive subject for him. There really wasn't anything wrong with that. So she grinned back at him. "Are you trying to make me nauseous?" she teased. "For the record, his disgusting boasting to the contrary, Bryce rarely saw my knees when we were together. He sure as hell has had his last look. Please don't worry about Bryce. I have this covered… knee free."

Chuck was still grinning. He nodded. "Thank you for sticking up for me," he said. "Calling me your fiancé? That really helped me."

"Don't thank me," Sarah insisted. "You are my fiancé. The only thing missing is the proposal. That's coming soon enough, isn't it? I didn't tell him a single thing that wasn't true. You have it all over him. You're jealous of Bryce. I get it. It's kinda cute. But it's also kinda silly. He's much more jealous of you. It drives him crazy." She smiled at him. "So let's talk about the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room."

"Please don't do this," Chuck pleaded. "It's too dangerous. It's too demeaning. No one can expect you to do this."

Actually, that wasn't the particular gorilla she was talking about. She expected him to ask about Bryce's snarky inference that she had used sex on missions. It never happened. Bryce knew that full well. They argued about it all the time. As far as the snarky inference about his personal experience with her knees? Okay, that had maybe happened a few times… but it certainly lacked any pretense at enthusiasm and happened about one percent of the times he begged for it. Maybe Chuck was right. That was a discussion they could have in more detail in a calmer time… one where she could take her time and make a point to him about the difference between a partner and a fiancé when it came to enthusiasm. Actually, it was sweet that he was looking out for her. "Chuck," Sarah sighed. "I promise that whatever I'm going to do today, we're going to decide it together. So can we please discuss this without emotion or jealousy? Bryce is right about one thing. It's my duty."

"This is not about me being jealous," Chuck insisted. "Of course, I'm jealous. The thought of Jim Smith possessing you in this very room makes me sick to my stomach. I don't think I could deal with you being gone for a few minutes, much less a few months. But that's not my main concern. For one thing, it wouldn't work. They're too smart. It would be a year or more before they trusted you enough to make a difference."

Sarah thought about the possibilities. The truth was, as usual, he was right. Fulcrum would be very suspicious of any new recruit. She would never be able to hide her past history as Graham's enforcer. "I know," she said. "It would be hard."

"Hard?" Chuck questioned. "It would be impossible to keep up the level of cover that would be required for that long. They have too many sources of information. And once they found out the truth… well, I think you know what would happen."

Sarah stopped him. "Please don't underestimate me," she said. "Yes, they would be watching me. I'd have to do some pretty awful things to convince them… not just sex. I'd have to actually become a Fulcrum agent for a while. I would miss you every bit as much. But, Chuck, this is Fulcrum we're talking about. We're not going to ever have the life we want until they're defeated. If I can help do that, I want to seize every opportunity."

"It wouldn't work," Chuck insisted. "I'm not underestimating you. My main concern here isn't for Agent Walker anyway. She doesn't need me to take care of her. It's for you. Sarah, you have to get out of this mindset that you'll do anything for the mission. It's unhealthy… especially when the people who are doing the ordering don't give a rip about you as a person. How can you ever hope to have a real life that has value, when you're so willing to throw it away on some suicide mission? They'll keep using you and using you until there's nothing left. You heard Bryce. He sure as hell isn't willing to do anything for the mission. Why should you? I'm really hoping that feeling loved will make a difference to you."

Sarah stepped up and threw her arms around him. "If it hadn't made a difference, we wouldn't be having this conversation," she replied as she squeezed him tight.

"We're going to fight them together," Chuck insisted. "This isn't jealousy. If you have to do things in that fight that a boyfriend, or even a fiancé, wouldn't like, I promise to fully support you. But, Sarah, this isn't smart. If you overrule me, will I be happy? Of course not. Will I be jealous? Insanely. Will it change the way I feel for you? No way in hell."

Sarah could only smile. That was her Chuck. How could he possibly believe that he didn't measure up… to anybody really… but especially to Bryce Larkin? It was ridiculous, something she would have to spend some time working on. "I'll never overrule you," she said. "I'll maybe try and convince you that I'm right sometimes. But I'll never overrule you. Those days are over."

Chuck just squeezed her tight.

After a minute, Sarah sighed. "Okay, Chuck. You win. For the first time in my life, I'm going to follow my heart. I'm going to stick with the original plan. I'll meet with the Elder. I'll flirt with him and agree to join Fulcrum. That may involve showing him some skin. I'll try and get them to give me an assignment. Then I'll bring Jim Smith back here and they can move in on the location. I'll either arrest Smith or throw a knife in his neck… but nothing else. Okay?"

Chuck kissed the top of her head lovingly. "Thank you," he said.

"No, Chuck," Sarah said trying to blink away the tears. "Thank you. A girl could really get used to this being loved thing."

They stayed in their tight embrace for a couple of minutes. "Wait a minute," Chuck said. "Did you just choose me over the job? Carina said that's when I could be sure."

That got Sarah laughing. He was teasing. After her effort this afternoon, if he wasn't sure, they had big problems. "I just did," she agreed. "Are you sure now?"

"Yup," Chuck replied. "Are you?"

"Yup," Sarah said. "I have been for a while."

Chuck broke the embrace and grabbed the hem of his t-shirt. Sarah quickly got the hint and raised her arms as he lifted it. "I just thought of something," he said. "If you're not going to be having any wild, monkey sex with Jim Smith tonight… well that puts you dangerously below your quota. It's a little early, but I'd be willing to help you fix that if you'd like."

And there it was. He could always make her laugh. "I surely wouldn't want to be below my quota," Sarah said. "I'm not exactly sure what it means, but it sounds positively unhealthy… not to mention possibly illegal."

Chuck had the t-shirt about half way off when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. "If that's Bryce again," he groaned as he dropped the shirt back into place. "Trained agent or not, I'm finding a way to kick his ass."

Just then they heard another knock followed by Carina's voice.

Sarah raised her index finger to Chuck and walked over to the door. She opened it a crack. "Carina, this is not a good time. Is this an emergency?"

"No," Carina answered. "Not really. I do need to talk."

Sarah laughed. Carina had slammed the door on her in the opposite situation only about a million times. "Then come back in about a half hour," she said as she closed the door.

Yeah, it was four in the morning. But when it came to making love, if Chuck was going to offer, Sarah surely wasn't ever going to turn it down. She sauntered over to where he was standing. "I don't think that you realize what you do to me when you make the first move."

Chuck shook his head with a grin. "I respectfully beg to differ," he protested. "I'm pretty sure I can see it poking through my t-shirt."

That got Sarah laughing again. "Touché," she said as she again lifted her arms above her head. "It's too exciting to waste."

"Now what was it about that quota?"

x-x-x-x-x

It was about forty five minutes later that Carina knocked on the door again. "Sarah, I need to talk," she said as soon as she was in the room.

"Carina," Sarah said with a smile. "Your timing leaves a little to be desired."

Carina just laughed. "Hi, Chuck," she said. "I was hoping that it was you in here." She responded to Sarah's look. "Come on, guys," she said. "I'm just kidding. I guess our talk must have primed the pump a little. Did you double down on the tongue thing like I told you?"

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "I heard all about your 'talk' earlier," she said. "For the record, he did double down… multiple times. Just for your information, the Chuck seduction score is Sarah one, Carina zero."

Chuck wanted to let them talk. "I'm going to take a shower," he said over his shoulder. "Yes, Carina, a cold shower. I hope you're happy. By the way, if I am remembering last night correctly, the score is Sarah five, Carina zero. She's pitching a shutout."

Carina wasn't done teasing. "I wouldn't get too cold if I was you," she said. "I'm only going to stay for a few minutes." She turned to Sarah. "Okay, bust my chops. Tell me how great it was. Is he still rocking your world?"

"Ladies," Chuck said over his shoulder. "Could we possibly defer this discussion until I'm actually in the shower? Or dead?"

That got Sarah laughing. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked. "And, just to get this out of the way, hell yes. If anything, every time is getting better."

Carina wasted no time getting to the point. "I overheard Jim talking on the phone when he thought I was asleep," she said. "Sarah, I think he might be Fulcrum."

Sarah looked Carina directly in the eye. "He is," she said. "I can't tell you how I know. Don't ask. But I knew a while ago. That's why I agreed to take him down to the bar last night. He tried to recruit me two different times… into Fulcrum and into my pants. I was going to tell you later. Carina, be honest with me. Where are you in all of this?"

Carina was honestly offended. "Come on, Sarah," she protested. "You can't possibly believe that I'd be part of Fulcrum."

Sarah breathed a noticeable sigh of relief. She never doubted Carina's loyalty. But tonight's visit would be the proof that Beckman would need. "Of course not," she said. "Beckman insisted that we be very careful. Smith made a date with me for tonight to introduce me to the regional commander. I'm picking him up in front of the hotel at eight. Once we meet with the commander and I've defected to Fulcrum, we're planning a major operation. Jim thinks that he's coming back here so I can show him my gratitude… and the other things he wants to see."

"Let me guess," Carina said sarcastically. "Like your clothes lying on the floor."

"Pretty much," Sarah agreed. "I'm sorry."

"Why would you be sorry?" Carina asked. "You're not the scumbag traitor. And I almost forgot. I promised last night that I would put in a good word for Chuck. Looking at your face, I don't think he needs it. Anybody who would go through what I put him through last night deserves it. I may be the most cynical person in the world when it comes to these things… but that guy truly loves you."

Sarah laughed. "I know," she said. "He doesn't need it. It's so great. My feet haven't touched the ground since we got together. I'm going to have to give myself a serious pep talk before tonight's mission so I don't get distracted by daydreaming about him and get myself killed."

"You'll be fine," Carina reassured. "This is a piece of cake for Agent Walker. Speaking of tonight, what do you want me to do?"

Sarah just smiled. "Carina," she said. "I think I might just have a plan."

"Let's call Beckman."

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