A/N Thanks once again to all of you who have stayed with this story. I know the updates have been less frequent but I hope to remedy that. Working without my friend esardi has been tougher than I thought. I miss ya buddy!

I'd just like to take a moment and say thanks to many of the newer writers that have been popping up lately. I hope my readers will support any writer but the newer ones in particular that are helping to keep this community and these amazing characters alive. As we come up on the second anniversary of the end of our favorite show it's great to see this community still going strong.

Thanks to all the new readers of this story and my others as well. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the hits that tell me folks are still discovering what I have written and reading it for the first time.

Still don't own Chuck well except for the Blu-Rays, the DVD's, a Nerd Herd T-Shirt, a NERD shirt and my Emmy4Yvonne shirt!

Chapter 33

The Choice

Corinthia Hotel

Room 628

London

7:23pm BST

Chuck and Sarah had just finished they room service meal of a chef salad for Sarah and Sheppard's pie for Chuck when they heard a knock on the door.

Following the pattern they had used before, Chuck carefully glided over to behind the hinge side of the door with his tranq gun while Sarah pulled her Smith and Wesson from the night stand and approached the peep hole. Seeing who was there she gave Chuck the all clear sign before opening the door.

"Good to see you Casey. How was Macau?"

"Crowded and hot." he said as he stepped into the room.

Sarah looked at Chuck and gave him a small shake of the head. There was only one John Casey.

"Any problems with the mission?"

"No Walker. This wasn't my first rodeo. King nerd here's little creepy crawler toy did most of the heavy lifting."

Chuck eye's got wider as he stepped over to his partner. Sarah sat on the now remade bed and pulled her legs underneath her.

"So everything got deployed well and we're getting the data undetected?"

"Yea, Beckman's roomful of geeks are analyzing it now. It seems that our friends in Costa Gravis received two large payments from what they believe were two different shells companies for the Ring, three days apart."

"When?" Sarah asked.

"The last one was three days ago."

"Just before Carina arrived there." Chuck added.

"Seems like. But that isn't the kicker." Sarah got back up and stood next to Chuck.

"Go on, Casey."

"It seems our former commie 'allies'" he said with disdain. "made two separate payments to two different shipping companies. One that operates mainly out of the east coast of Costa Gravis and one that specializes in the Pacific thereby avoiding having to deal with the canal."

"Any word on where those shipments were going?"

"Yea, only two container ships large enough left Costa Gravis in the past ten days."

"And?" Chuck's voice tense.

"As we suspected the first ship arrived in England yesterday at the Port of Cardiff."

"And the second?" This time it was Sarah who's voice was strained.

Casey paused for a second, he knew his partners weren't gonna like this.

"Long Beach, late last night."

Chuck tensed. "Long Beach? That means..."

"The Ring may have nuclear material on American soil." Sarah said what all three were thinking.

"How the hell did they get it out of the port? Wouldn't nuclear material be detected by the radiological monitoring during a customs inspection?"

"Normally yes, but it seems one container on the manifest isn't where it was supposed to be."

"What's Beckman's orders? Does she want us to come home?"

"Don't know but we have a video conference with her at 8pm London time to discuss whatever the plans are."

"Damn it! How could I have missed this?" Chuck stood up and walked around the room trying to comprehend what was going on and how dangerous the threat from the Ring had become.

"Chuck." Sarah walked over and put her hand on Chuck's forearm and turned him to look directly at her. "This is not you fault. Our country faces threats like this every single day and we deal with them and we will deal with this one." Her voice trying to be a comforting as possible. "We just need to focus on whatever mission Beckman give us." Her eyes pleading with him to not carry this burden alone.

In his heart Chuck knew Sarah was right. But he was the Intersect. He should be able to figure these things out before the threat is so imminent.

"Chuck, let's call down for some food for Casey. I'm sure he's hungry after travelling all day and we can go over what we know so far. Let him eat and we'll wait till we talk to Beckman and see how things play out, ok?" Sarah glanced at Casey who nodded approvingly.

"Ok, you're right Sarah. Until we know precisely what we are dealing with we're just spinning our wheels."

Olympia London

Room 216

West Kensington

7:58 pm BST

Andrea Saunders sat patiently on the comfortable leather chairs that had been specially brought in and placed outside the conference room that PTAG Safety and Security Group had reserved for it's important clients at the conference. The standard generic chairs that the Olympia supplied were not up to the standards that Hutcheson set for his clients. An uncomfortable client was an unhappy client and an unhappy client was bad for the image he had set for the company over the last fifteen years had had been it's Director.

Andrea couldn't be happier. She had been on her feet much of the day and the awareness of being watched by her ever present Ring companion had only heightened her tension level. It had been years since she had a 'shadow' on a mission, not since before she had been partnered with that asshole Shaw. Her last babysitter/handler had been an incredible douche like many male handlers assigned to female agents. His attempts to 'field school' her in seduction had been some of the lamest come-ons she had ever heard. Hell even Shaw and most of her marks had more game than Kiernan Ryker. The only time she ever saw him on his game was when large sums of money were involved. So having someone like Hutcheson actually caring about her comfort was a welcome change.

David had instructed his assistant to apologize to Andrea when she arrived at 7:40 that he was running a bit behind schedule but would see her as soon as he could. So she sat outside in the corridor and waited for the next phase of her mission to begin.

After a few moments she heard voices approaching the door to the conference room. Not really being able to hear exactly what was being said she could at least tell they were jovial and friendly. It seemed that David had that affect on his other clients as well. Even with the sensitive nature of his work, he seemed to put them at ease that they were making the right decisions to help protect those that they served.

"Thank you for your time David, and I do hope you can make it down to Southampton sometime next summer." Andrea watched a rather roundly shaped, balding man about six inches shorter than David step out of the doorway followed by Hutcheson. But what surprised her was she saw the same James Bond wannabe she had seen earlier follow behind Hutcheson. She straightened her skirt as a distraction and called on all of her training to keep her features calm. Somehow she knew this wasn't a coincidence.

"Alastair, I'm glad we could help. I'll have the contracts sent to your office first thing in the morning."

"Remember, Mary and I would love to see you. Summer weekends simply aren't the same without you. We all miss Kate dearly but we don't want to lose contact with you as well."

"Thank you my friend. I just couldn't get down there this summer. Work has been incredibly busy and I... well you know how it is. Give Mary my love, will you?" Andrea could hear the slight break in David's voice.

The rotund man nodded. David then turned his attention to the curious man who had accompanied them. Extending his hand to shake he said. "It was very nice to meet you Cole."

"Same here, David. I'll be in touch."

"I'll look forward to it."

Watching the two gentlemen walk away, both men smiled at Andrea and nodded politely. Alastair glanced over at David and noticed his attention had turned to the beautiful brunette. Cole caught the eyes of Andrea briefly before he turned and walked off with his companion. He hoped she was as good an agent as Chuck had described and she caught his message.

"Ms Lansing, I am so sorry for keeping you waiting..."

"Elise, please. And it was no bother. I understand you are a busy man and you are helping me so please, no apology necessary. Besides, it was nice to finally get off my feet."

"I'm sorry, Elise forgive me. At least let me apologize for being so formal."

"Apology accepted." She said with a bright smile that he quickly returned. She noticed that the cloud she had seen in his eyes when he spoke about his wife with the other two gentlemen had vanished or at least was back behind his protective wall.

"Please come in. I'll just have my assistant bring in our dinners and we can get started. I hope they are still warm enough for you. I told them to keep them hot once I realized Alastair had brought someone with him and my meeting was going to go longer"

"I'm starving and I'm sure they'll be fine." So double 0 whatever was a surprise addition, hmmm.

David, like the true gentleman he was pulled out a chair at the small round table he had brought in for their meals. The larger conference table was a bit cold and as this seemed like it was going to be a more informal meeting, he felt it best to make the surrounding a bit more relaxed.

A door that looked to be built into what was a folding wall used to expand the conference room to a larger venue opened and a young woman wheeled in a small serving cart with two plates covered in stainless steel covers as well as a selection of waters both sparkling and still, a selection of British beers and a bottle of Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted to drink so I had them bring in an assortment. I hope there's something you like."

"Well, if you don't mind, it's been a bit of a long day and I could use a glass or two of wine. The Merlot please?" She said with a chuckle.

"Ahh, I'm glad you feel that way. I'd much rather have a beer at this time of night and I would hate to drink alone." David reached for the bottle of wine, opened it and poured her a glass. He then took one of the bottles of beer and poured himself a glass with a good head. "I prefer Bass Ale on draft but the Olympia management frowned on my idea of installing a tap in the conference room. Though I doubt many of my clients would have objected."

Andrea let out a small chuckle and flicked her hair just a little. It was a cliché seduction move but she figured he probably hadn't been flirted with in a long time. Plus it made him smile and his smile wasn't the most unpleasant thing to look at.

David held up his glass and Andrea tapped hers lightly against his. "To England!"

"To the 49ers!" She replied with a smirk.

After taking a deep sip David tilted his head slightly at her toast. "An American football fan I see."

"Lifelong Niners fan. My dad idolized Joe Montana."

"Well I'm more of a "real" football fan. What you yanks call soccer."

"Soccer? Ahh boring. I don't understand how anyone can watch an hour and a half game that ends 0-0 and call it a great game."

"Good point but they can be exciting none the less. Now American football has far more rules and penalties and specialized players. Football ahh soccer is simple FIFA rule book is only 70 pages. American football is hundreds. It's too confusing."

"You should give it a try, as a matter of fact the Niners are playing at Wembly Stadium this fall, you should go."

"It might take an oof me till then to understand it." he said with a self-deprecating smile.

Andrea chuckled again. "It's easy, if my dad can teach me the rules I'm sure someone as accomplished as you are would pick it up very quickly."

"Well maybe if I had an instructor as beautiful as you are Elise, I'd want to take as much time as I could." David let out a small breath when he realized what he had said. He realized he was flirting with a woman he just met and someone who came to him for his professional guidance.

"I'm sorry Elise, that was uncalled for." He said as the red began to show brightly on his ears.

"So you don't think I'm beautiful?"

"No oh God no. You are very beautiful. Stunning actually. It's just it was unprofessional. You came to me for my assistance and I'm afraid I've acted improperly. Please forgive me."

Andrea reached over and placed her hand on his gently. "David there is nothing to forgive, Just a little harmless flirting and if it bothered me I can assure you I would let you know. But just for the record, I'd love to teach a man as handsome as you are the rules of the greatest game in the entire world." She said with a smile that was far more genuine than even she expected.

"Thank you Elise. It's just..." Pulling his hand back the sadness in his eyes had returned as his gaze drifted down to his beer.

"David, I'm terribly sorry about your loss. I know it must have been devastating for you."

Hutcheson looked up a bit surprised at the revelation.

"I'm sorry David I didn't mean to.. It's just... I read some newspaper articles on the plane about the conference trying to familiarize myself with who I would be speaking with. That's all."

"It's fine, Elise. It has been hard but my work keeps me busy."

"Well I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn. It's not the first time, believe me." She said rolling her eyes. "I have a tendency to speak before thinking sometimes. I'm sorry if I came on a little strong. It's just... Even if it is just a burger with a colleague it's been a while since I've had dinner with a man who wasn't my cheating bastard husband. "

David shook his head in mild disgust. "Well any man who would cheat on a woman like you is daft."

The two "colleagues" smiled and turned their attention to their meals. The conversation flowed a bit more smoothly into some safe areas. The kind of small talk that a prospective client would have with a vendor. They talked about the constant need to be vigilant, the need for greater and faster technology to keep one step ahead of the terrorists who didn't have to fight by their rules.

After about an hour conversation, Andrea placed her elbows on the table and set her chin on her upturned palms.

"So David, tell me about this new facial recognition and networking technology everyone seems to be talking about."

Ring Hive

London

9:56 pm BST

"Have the containment vessels arrived yet?"

"Yes, the five arrived from Rostock about an hour ago, Director"

"Good make sure that they are x-rayed completely. There can be no flaws that would allow for their detection."

"Understood Director."

Simon Foster never looked up from the monitors as his assistant left the observation room. The Ring Director was keeping close attention to the operation going on in the lead lined containment facility three floors below him. He watch as three technicians began the difficult task of opening the container he had paid dearly for. On another monitor he watched the same task being performed by three North Korean technicians four thousand miles away in Glendale.

This operation had come at a very high price, nearly eighty percent of the Ring's entire war chest. It was high risk, high reward gamble that would either install the Ring as the new power brokers of the free world or it would cripple them as a threat. Somehow Foster had convinced the Elders that it was worth the gamble. The threat of making two of the great cities of the world virtually uninhabitable for hundreds of years without destroying a single building would stand as an example of the Ring's power.

But the biggest obstacle to overcome was moving the weapons. Even the tiniest of leaks would set off an array of advanced monitoring stations. Plus companies like Hutcheson's were developing advanced networking, detection and facial recognition technologies that would severely cripple the ability to move the Ring's operatives around the globe. The window in which this type of operation could succeed was shrinking. That is how he convinced the Elders to "go all in" with this operation. But he needed access to those systems that Hutcheson had developed for the odds of success to increase. He needed to place two of the weapons in strategic locations, threaten to detonate them and use the threat of the remaining weapons to get the respective governments to capitulate to their demands. If not other countries would be threatened and the upheaval and chaos it would create in those countries would cause their governments to fall. Better to have the Ring infiltrate those governments than to give up power completely.

Plus access to Hutcheson's networking technologies would grant the Ring the ability to monitor, control and infiltrate every major city's central transportation and infrastructure control center, the Ring would be able to have free reign to operate anywhere in the world. The facial recognition technologies could be used to detect airborne sky marshals, undercover intelligence officers and any other law enforcement operatives throughout the world. Hutcheson may have developed the technology to detect terrorists and bad guys but it could also be used to detect the good guys.

But his final weapon to gain total and ultimate control of the western political and economic seats of power was, Charles Carmichael, the Human Intersect. His knowledge of the world's secrets would be invaluable in controlling those who remained in power. Foster also knew that Carmichael would never let hundreds of thousands of innocent lives be lost if he could possibly stop it. Once he surrendered, it would be child's play to keep that threat over him if he didn't do Foster's bidding. Plus with the aid of the now deceased and castrated former "Ring expert" and all around toolbag, Daniel Shaw, he had learned Carmichael's two biggest weaknesses, his partner and suspected bed warmer, one Sarah Walker, and an all new formerly unknown vulnerability. With this new info Foster had created the ultimate trap for the world's only human intersect. The perfect triangle from which there was no escape except for doing what Foster wanted, when he wanted.

"Have the containers arrived at Glendale?"

"Yes sir. But as you know there are only two of them. The rest will take another six weeks to manufacture."

"That's fine we only need one at this point. The threat will be established regardless if we have enough material or not."

"Is there anything else Director?"

"Yes, what is the status of the meeting with Hutcheson?"

"At last report Agent Saunders was still having dinner with him at the Olympia. But we expect they will wrap it up soon."

"Good, she's smart enough not to push too hard this first night. Once we hear from our man monitoring Agent Saunders that she has returned to her hotel, rotate the teams following her. They have been with her long enough and I want fresh eyes on her. Also let me know when she reports in. I want to speak with her." Foster said, his eyes never leaving the monitors.

"Very well sir." The assistant left and closed the door gently behind him. He knew when the Director was this focused that he wanted as much quiet as possible. Plus with what he knew about the importance of the operations going on now was not a time to get on the Director's bad side. If this operation was successful Foster would be the next Ring Elder and with that came a new level of status for his loyal assistants. It granted privileges he had always dreamed of having access to. Money, power, beautiful women doing anything they were asked to do to enhance their position in the Ring. Being an Elder granted Foster anything he desired and he knew there would be plenty of opportunities for some of that excess power and lust to splash over on him.

Corinthia Hotel

Room 628

London

11:18pm BST

"So you were able to make contact with Hutcheson?"

"Yes, I called an old acquaintance Alastair Smith, who I hoped would be meeting with David today. He comes from some centuries old money in shipping. His family was a partner in the White Star Line when they merged with the Cunard Line back in the thirties. Hutchison provides security technology at all the passenger docks throughout Great Britain."

"White Star, like Titanic White Star?"

"Same one, but Alastair is quick to point out his family wasn't involved when it whet down. They came in after the Great War when they restored the passenger ships."

"Wow" Chuck said with a bit of awe in his voice. Sarah just rolled her eyes and grinned. Chuck's still childlike wonder at the world he was now involved in was something she hoped he would never lose.

"So what happened at the meeting?"

"Nothing much, Sarah. I just wanted to get an introduction. That way I should be able to keep an eye on him and our double."

"So Andrea was there?"

"Yes, she was waiting outside. I'm pretty sure she knew who I was as I had made eye contact earlier in the day and if she is as good an agent as you say he is, she figured out I was her contact with you."

"What about any other Ring Agents?" Chuck asked.

"Saw two for certain, but I expect we will see some others tomorrow."

"Why?"

This time Sarah answered. "The Director is smart. This convention is full of spies, security personnel, politicians and many others trained to recognize patterns. If someone like Hutcheson were to notice the same agent type staying the standard surveillance distance from Andrea every time he saw her I'm sure he or one of his people would figure it out. So the Ring is likely to use different agents watching her every day."

"Makes sense I guess but it just makes it more difficult if we don't know who we're looking for each day."

"Well if it was easy then they wouldn't need Team Bartowski." Sarah said with a smirk and slipped her arm through her partner's. Chuck's smile beamed back at the love of his life and she stood up on her toes and gave him a short tender kiss.

This time it was the Brit who rolled his eyes. "Please, do you have to rub it in?"

"Rub what in, Cole?" Sarah said with a bit of humor, her eyes never leaving Chuck's."

"Come on Sarah, I like working with you two but could you keep the whole perfect spy couple thing a little bit more subdued, I don't need to keep being reminded you turned me down. Fiji would have been fun but now you two are gloriously happy going around saving the world together."

Sarah noticed Chuck's slight hesitation at what Cole had said. That was why she had kissed him. She knew that Chuck still had some confidence issues around James Bond types. She knew she had to clear the air about what happened with her and Cole before Chuck got any ideas. He was who she chose every single time she had to make a choice whether it was Bryce or Cole. And she was now willing to show anyone who she had chosen.

"S... Sorry," Chuck said trying to hide his embarrassment. Sure he was the one who got the girl, but he remembered what it was like watching Sarah and Bryce kissing in his bedroom when he first came back. Sarah had turned him down too and whatever it was he had asked her he could empathize with Cole about being the rejected party watching someone you wanted kiss another guy.

"So what did General Beckman have to say? Any changes or new information that might be relevant to whatever the Ring is planning?"

"Actually yes. It seems that there was another shipment out of Costa Gravis."

"Really? Headed where?"

"Long Beach. It arrived there last night and it seems someone had a rendevous with their girlfriend going on in the Security tower and a half hours worth of surveillance footage is missing along with said container." Sarah said with disgust.

"Damn. Any idea where it was headed?"

"Homeland Security is still going over traffic footage from the area but it may take a while before they identify the truck, if at all."

"So how does this affect our mission? Are you two headed back stateside?"

This time Chuck took over. "No, until they find the destination nothing's changed for us. She is sending the team that was in Costa Gravis back to LA to monitor the situation on the ground. But as of right now our most promising lead is Hutcheson."

"Well, if there's nothing else I think I'll be going." Cole said with his usual confidence back.

"Are our covers and credentials all set up for tomorrow?" asked Sarah.

"Sorry, I almost forgot watching you two lovebirds." He said with a smirk.

"As you requested you are going as Yuri Sheshenko and Irena Vasilyev, members of the Russian delegation. I assume your disguises, passports and ID's arrived with Casey?" The couple nodded. "Credentials will be waiting for you at the main entrance."

"Thank you Cole. According to the schedule, Hutcheson is giving another presentation at 4pm. We plan on attending and see if Chuck flashes on anyone or any other surprises. The Ring may not be the only player interested in what he has to offer."

"Are you planning on making contact with Saunders or Hutcheson?"

"No, not directly. It's too risky and could blow both our covers. If she's there which I expect she will be, you'll handle any communication if it becomes necessary. At this point she is our best bet on finding out exactly what it is the Ring wants from Hutcheson."

"I'll see you there. Have a good evening you two but I have a feeling that's a given." Cole smiled first looking at Chuck and then to Sarah. After holding her eyes for a few seconds he reached out, took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.

"For what it's worth Sarah, love looks really good on you. I guess you've found the right kind of adventure." The Brit then nodded to Chuck and left closing the door behind him.

Sarah turned her attention away from the retreating MI-6 agent and noticed Chuck was looking at her. He hadn't stopped since Cole had kissed her hand. His eyes let her know that he had questions but wasn't going to ask them. They were soft and warm but she could see there was just that ever present hint of insecurity he had whenever someone like Bryce or Cole said something cryptic to her. Spy codes and spy secrets always made him feel a bit uneasy. But what may have happened between Sarah and Cole was before they were together and he would never invade her privacy even now. But he was giving her the space to answer them if she chose to.

Sarah turned and then sat on the edge of the bed. It wasn't the fountain where they had their last conversation after Cole left but it would have to do. Chuck deserved to know what happened back in Burbank and understand that Cole was never anything more than a insignificant distraction at a difficult time for her and them. "Chuck, grab a couple of waters and join me here please."

"Ok." Chuck looked at her curiously but did as she asked, He grabbed a couple of waters from the mini fridge, handed one to her and sat down next to the beautiful blonde.

"Chuck, we are going to have to work closely with Cole and I don't want anything going on beneath the surface between all of us affecting the mission. This is going to be dangerous enough without any unnecessary distractions."

"Sarah, you don't have to.."

"Chuck please. You deserve to know what happened back in Burbank."

Sarah twisted the cap of the water bottle and took a long sip. She was thirsty but it also gave her a bit more time to find the right words.

Screwing the cap back on, she took a deep breath and began. "When Cole showed up in Burbank last year, it was just after you had broken up with me again, following the mission to the Suburbs."

"Sarah I'm so..."

"Chuck please... That was a difficult time for both of us. We had a glimmer of a life both of us had always dreamed of but a life I never thought I'd ever have. When you asked me to spend one last night there it broke my heart to have to tell you no."

Chuck saw the honest sadness in her eyes as she spoke about that time. "I know. Though I knew the reason we couldn't before I even asked, I just hoped that maybe... but I won't deny that it hurt to hear you say it."

"Chuck, I had to close up that house, take the CIA rings off and watch them box up and carry away a beautiful dream life that was never going to be mine. A life beyond my reach and a life I didn't think I deserved."

Chuck took her hands up to his mouth and gently kissed them. "Sarah please don't say that. You deserve any kind of life you could ever imagine and I will fight till my last dying breath to give that life to you."

"I know Chuck and it's one of the reasons I love you." Sarah leaned in and gently kissed him on the cheek. She didn't want to kiss him on the lips as she knew it would lead to more and she'd never finish what she needed to finish.

"But things were different then. When you broke up with me right after that I believed I'd never have that life. I couldn't give you what you wanted because you were right, it was all just another lie. So when Cole showed up he represented the kind of life I always thought I would have, exciting, adrenaline pumping adventures with a handsome man who would be on to the next mission and never look back."

Sarah looked down at their hands still intertwined on her legs folded beneath her.. This was going to be the hard part but she knew she had to be honest with him.

"After we escaped from Alexis White and were back in Castle there was a moment where the appeal of that life and yes, the appeal of Cole took over. In the heat of the moment he kissed me and I...I kissed him back."

"I know."

Sarah's looked up sharply in surprise. "What, you...?"

"Yea, I'm not totally oblivious, I knew something was going on so I called up the surveillance cameras in the Orange Orange. Not my proudest moment, believe me."

"Mine either." She said with a small smile.

"Huh?" He was surprised both by what she said and the fact she didn't get angry with him for invading her privacy.

"Chuck as soon as I finished kissing him, I knew it was a mistake."

"But you said you were attracted to him."

"I'll admit that he was just the kind if guy I would have been attracted to in the past but now he had one huge, overwhelming flaw."

"Flaw? What possible flaw could James Bond personified have?"

"He wasn't you." She smiled and showed all the love she had for him in her eyes.

"Really?" Chuck's grin could have lit up the room.

"Yea, he simply didn't measure up to one Chuck Bartowski. Not even close."

This time Sarah kissed him on the lips. Chaste but still full of love.

"When the mission was finally over and he was about to leave he asked me to go to Fiji with him. He thought I was someone who wanted adventures. I did, but not with him. So I turned him down."

"Ah so that explains his comment earlier."

"Mhhmhhh. Chuck, I was already in love with you and Cole was a good enough spy to realize it when he saw it. He even told me he knew that Cole Barker had lost the girl to Chuck Bartowski."

"Wow, so I finally didn't some in second." He said with humor but Sarah knew that deep down he was surprised just a little bit."

This time Sarah pulled her hands from his and put them a little forcefully on his cheeks. "Chuck, you big idiot. When is that enormous brain of yours going to realize you have never come in second with me. Not once. I may have tried to fight it as hard as I could early on and I know I hurt you when I did and I'm terribly sorry about that but don't you get it? From the moment I met you and I saw you with that ballerina and her father it was always you. Guys like Bryce and Cole couldn't even come close. Bryce may have tried right up till the end..." They both looked down for a second in memory of the man who had played such an important role in both their lives. "He may have tried to get me to leave with him every time he came back but it never was going to happen. He finally realized it at Ellie's wedding. Cole saw he had no chance and did the honorable thing and walked away even knowing we weren't together yet. He knows how rare what we have is in this business. Chuck, he's a good and honorable man but so are you and you are the one I chose, the one I've always chosen and always will choose. So please don't worry about Cole. He's a great agent and we need him on this mission but he isn't Chuck Bartowski."

"I know and thank you Sarah. He was always supportive of me too, even when I was dropping windows on my foot and he was taking bullets for you." Chuck smiled and Sarah couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey you both got hurt trying to save the girl, doesn't matter how you got hurt." She kissed him this time.

Pulling back, Chuck had one more question. "Sarah, do you think we should tell him about the implant?"

"No, not yet at least. That is very top secret technology and I don't think we want to say anything about it just yet."

"I agree. Besides I'm going to try and see if the remote device Beckman gave us to access it will work tomorrow. It's range is really limited to avoid any possible detection with all the RF surveillance at the conference. But it may come in handy."

"We'll need him to make contact with her but the less direct contact Andrea has with Cole the less likely her cover will get blown. And I'd like to not have to wait for Beckman to get any info from her and pass it on to us. I'm curious if she has any idea about the nuclear material and where it is being kept."

"So am I. But lets not rush things. Judging by the conference schedule and typical seduction techniques, if it was me I'd... sorry." Sarah looked down once she realized what she had said.

"Sarah it's ok. I'm never going to be comfortable with that part of this business but I get that it happens. Ok?"

Sarah nodded and his soft smile let her continue. "I expect she won't make her big play till Friday night. That way if she's successful she will have access to him for the entire weekend."

"Makes sense. I just hope she can find out what it is the Ring is looking for before whatever they plan to do with the nuclear material is set in motion. Having this many members of the International Security business in one place is a very inviting target."

"Agreed." Sarah stood up, pulled off her t-shirt and plopped herself down in Chuck's lap. She then leaned in and in a soft breathy voice whispered in his ear.

"Enough mission talk. I think it's time for Chuck Bartowski to show me just why I chose wisely."

A/N 2 One little canon thing. I chose in this chapter to use the episodes the way they should have aired if not for the President. Best Friend, then Suburbs, then Beefcake. The story and canon make much more sense in that order. I hope you liked this one and see you soon... (I hope).