A/N: Another short AU Charah story. Only two chapters.
This was inspired by a friend having a vacation in Thailand which reminded me of a tour I joined that focused on Cambodia but started in Bangkok and ended in Ho Chi Minn City. I decided that a retired CIA operative would join a similar tour and fall for another American on that tour.
Don't expect the characters to be exactly like they were in the show, although there are some similarities.
Thanks to my friend Captainrick944 for the beta.
Instant Attraction
Chapter 1: Touring Vacation
She wasn't sure why she'd agreed so readily to join the girls on this tour. She could have done anything with her time off, probably something alone without having to interact with others. But, no, she'd agreed to go with Alex and Cindy on this Khmer coach tour. She expected to avoid talking to people as they traveled but hadn't considered meal times.
Well, she needed to see this as part of furthering her integration into civilian life and just suck it up.
It had been two years since her retirement, and she felt that she'd adapted well, both physically and mentally.
It had taken a while for her to get used to her new kneecap and the inability to outdistance anyone, something she had always been proud of. Now basically in a desk-bound job, she would never be doing that again.
She had been lucky to find a job she could both do and do well, and took pride in that. In addition, the people who worked with her were both pleasant and seemed to respect her, which was also something to be grateful for. That included these two, who seemed determined to befriend the silent blonde with them.
So, here they were, sitting in the back of the taxi heading to the first hotel. Late for the group's first meeting because their flight from LAX had been delayed. Not a great start, but then it was one less forced social setting, so maybe not a bad thing.
Alex and Cindy were excitedly looking out of the taxi windows at the Bangkok suburbs. Sarah had been here a few times during her days in the CIA and it held no interest for her. In fact, now she was here, she wondered if she was taking a foolish risk. Two years away from that life and she'd already forgotten that dangers existed. She would have to be cautious in the city.
When they reached the hotel and unloaded their luggage, they were greeted by the tour manager's assistant. Apparently, the group had finished their meal and headed out to go for a drink at a nearby bar before going dancing. They had a choice of doing the same or eating food in the hotel restaurant. All three chose food first, although Sarah had no plans to go out, and they met in the restaurant after depositing their things in their bedrooms.
The assistant explained that the next day was a free day in the city before they started the tour officially the following day.
The girls were keen to follow the group, so after a quick bite to eat, they set off with the assistant.
Sarah sat and nursed her wine, not wanting to go anywhere. She relished the time alone.
She looked around the room. It was completely empty, apart from a man sitting against the far wall, who seemed engrossed in his phone. He looked tall, and his dark curly hair intrigued Sarah. There was something about him that shouted out American, but she couldn't say what.
Then he looked up and saw her. Their eyes locked. His were a hazel color and captivated her instantly. His reaction seemed the same as he looked at her blue eyes. His jaw dropped open as he took her in.
Sarah had never felt so attracted to anyone before. Her whole body reacted.
She knew this was crazy, but she stood and walked to him. He stood as well.
It had been over two years since she last slept with a man and she was fine with that, but suddenly, she felt an uncontrollable need for it.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the elevator. She pressed for her floor before turning back to him. He picked her up and kissed her ravenously.
As soon as they were in her room, they started shedding clothes.
He was less wild once they were on the bed and seemed completely in awe of her body. His fingertips explored it, with his lips following closely behind. He seemed intrigued by the multitude of scars, but with what he was doing to her, she forgot about them.
He pleasured her in ways few had ever done, but more than that, she saw how much he enjoyed doing it.
She had to stop him worshiping her body eventually, however, and rolled him onto his back. She needed him in her and took control that first time.
They made love repeatedly into the night. Nothing had ever felt so good.
As they lay panting next to each other after their fifth time, she realized she knew nothing about him other than he was the best lover she had ever had. She turned her head. "Name?" Best to start there.
He looked at her. "Huh?"
She grinned. "I don't know your name. I could just call you 'the best lover ever,' but I would like to know your name as well."
The grin that spread over his face was adorable. "You'd only need my name if this is more than a one-night stand."
She hadn't thought about that. Then, she did. She realized she wanted this to be far more than that. She rolled on top of him. "I'm thinking of abandoning the tour I'm on, and just staying in this room with you."
He pulled the back of her head down and passionately kissed her and then rolled them over, and in no time, they were making love again.
They were lying facing each other after that when he said, "Chuck." She raised an eyebrow. He continued. "The man you plan to keep captive in here."
"You mean you won't willingly stay?" she teased.
"I don't think I've ever wanted someone as much as you," he replied.
She had always been good at reading people and saw no deception. "I'm the same," she admitted. "This is crazy, isn't it?"
"Instant attraction doesn't begin to describe it. I want you in my life so much…" he paused, obviously wanting her name.
"Sarah. Sarah Walker. I want you too." She shook her head, amazed at how true that was. "We know nothing about each other, though."
"I want to know you, Sarah." He took a deep breath. "My full name is Chuck Bartowski. I'm thirty. I'm a software developer with one game to my name and a software company that is also building its first product. I live in Los Angeles but came here from Chicago with my sister and her husband. We're on a tour that will take us to one of my dream locations, Angkor Wat."
Her jaw had dropped open from the start. "You live in LA?" He nodded. "So do I."
His grin lit up the room. "Fantastic!"
It was now her turn. She would tell him what she could. "I used to work for the government but retired after a serious accident and now lead a team of linguists for a company in Los Angeles where I have lived for two years now." She grinned. "I came here with two of my staff, and I think we are on the same tour as you. If that's right, we don't have to stay in this room after tomorrow, but can sleep together for the rest of the tour, in one room or the other."
They compared details, and they were, in fact, on the same tour.
"We can explore Bangkok together before the tour starts," he said, grinning.
That sobered her up. "I can't do that."
He clearly put two and two together. "You're known here?" She nodded.
He traced one of her scars, a long knife wound on her right side. "CIA?"
She nodded again. She hated that he had come to that conclusion so quickly.
"But you'll be ok when we get to Cambodia?" he questioned further.
"I hope so. I've never been there, but I have spent far too much time in Bangkok."
He nodded. "I will have to have breakfast with Ellie and Devon and probably the evening meal too, but apart from that, twenty-four more hours of sex in here sounds wonderful."
She hadn't expected that, but the thought sounded wonderful to her too. She kissed him hard. It wasn't just the sex; he was a fantastic kisser too.
She woke when Chuck's phone went off. She recognized the theme tune from an old science fiction movie but couldn't name it.
He struggled out of his own slumber and staggered to where he'd dropped his pants. He pulled the phone out and answered it. "Hi, El."
Even across the room, Sarah could hear the woman's raised voice. "Where the hell are you? You're not in some Thai woman's arms, are you?"
Sarah couldn't help bursting out in laughter.
"I can hear that!" the female voice yelled.
Sarah shouted out, "I'm as American as Chuck is."
Chuck was bright red. "I met the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I've been with her ever since. Your call woke us."
There was a stunned silence.
Chuck had walked back to the bed. "She's on the same tour as us, El."
"Bring her to breakfast," Ellie demanded. "In half an hour."
Sarah laughed again. "I'll share him for breakfast only."
"Good," Ellie replied and then ended the call.
The shared shower took them a bit longer than expected, so they were five minutes late in joining his sister and brother-in-law.
Sarah spotted Alex and Cindy and briefly went over to them to tell them her news.
Alex beamed at her. "I'm so pleased for you, Sarah."
"And he's on the tour with us?" Cindy asked. Sarah nodded. "Perfect!"
Sarah walked back to join Chuck's group.
Ellie had been watching her and finally spoke up. "He wasn't exaggerating. You are beautiful."
Sarah blushed. "Thank you, but so are you, Ellie." And that was true. The brunette sitting opposite her was stunning, but so was the blond man sitting with her.
"Hi, I'm Devon," the blond said. He reached across the table to shake her hand.
Sarah smiled. "Sarah."
"So, you're on the same tour as us?" Ellie asked.
Sarah nodded and looked at Chuck. "So, we can spend the whole time together."
Ellie shook her head. "I never thought my little brother would have a holiday romance."
Sarah had to correct that. "Unless something goes horribly wrong, he won't be rid of me when the tour is over."
Ellie frowned. Chuck stepped in. "Sarah lives in Los Angeles."
His sister sat back. "After one night together, you're planning to stay together?"
Chuck smiled. "Following in your footsteps."
Devon laughed. "He's got you there, babe."
Sarah didn't understand. Ellie blushed as Chuck explained about their first time in Med school and then never parting.
Sarah grinned. "So, instant attraction and immediate sex is a family theme?"
Chuck blushed but nodded.
Ellie huffed. "So, will you be joining us as we explore Bangkok today?"
Chuck quickly replied. "We'll do our own thing."
By mid-afternoon, the pair of them were totally exhausted. While the rest of the group had been out exploring Bangkok, they had continued to explore each other.
For Sarah it was an emotional high. No one had ever been that interested in her for anything beyond her body. They had desired her for a sexual union but had not shown any interest in who she was as a person. As a woman.
Chuck, however, gave her all his attention. He was even fascinated by all her scars and wanted to know about them. He took great care to kiss each after he heard their story. Of course, there was a lot she couldn't tell him about her time in the CIA and certainly didn't want to mention the assassinations, but every scar did tell a story.
"I wish I could kiss away all the pain you have suffered," he told her just before kissing the bullet wound just above and to the left of her groin. That sent shivers through her.
"Oh god, you can't kiss me there and not go further!"
He went further and had her in ecstasy in no time.
As she caught her breath, she decided she had to open up more and would do so over lunch.
They got food sent up to her room, and both dressed in t-shirts and shorts to receive it.
As they started to eat, she looked over at him. She took a moment to second guess her decision, thinking it might be a mistake, but in the end, if she really wanted a future with him, he needed to know before they took things further. "Chuck, I've done some very difficult things. Unspeakable things in the course of my duties." She took a deep breath. "That includes killing people. I don't want you to think I have just been a victim all the time."
He nodded. "I'm not stupid, Sarah. I guessed as much."
If that didn't faze him, she felt the need to tell more. She needed to be more specific. She held his gaze and said, "I was more than just a spy. I was also an assassin."
She watched as that sank in. He looked horrified. Her heart sank. Then he asked, "Were they bad people?"
The question surprised her. "I always assumed so. I shouldn't have been ordered to kill good people."
"And that's it, isn't it? You were given an order and followed through with it. Like a good soldier."
She was stunned at how he was taking this. "But…"
"Don't get me wrong. I hate that you were given such orders, but you were, and you did your duty." That seemed to be all he wanted to say. She was surprised at how he took it. Then he asked, "How did you feel after each one?"
Another unexpected question, but she answered honestly. "I was sick after the first dozen or so, then I learned to bottle it up and ignore those feelings."
"A bad person would enjoy it," he commented. "You were a good person doing a horrible job."
"So, you're not put off by what I was?" She wasn't explicitly pleading, but in her head, she was.
He looked surprised that she had said that. He wrapped his arms around her. "I think you'd have to hurt me to do that. I am already in love with you."
She tensed as he said that and pushed away slightly to be able to look at his face. "You love me?"
"Sarah, I have never felt this deeply connected to anyone before, and let's face it, the sex ain't bad either." The look in his eyes spoke of the connection, too.
As Sarah thought about it, she realized she felt the same about him. In the past, she had never needed anyone, always preferring to be alone, but here she was quite the opposite, wanting him in her life. The feeling that her past would push him away had been so upsetting, and now the joy of what he had just said was overwhelming.
"I think I love you, too," she gasped out and ran around the table, grabbed the sides of his face in her hands, and kissed him deeply.
Lunch was completely forgotten, and the few items of clothing were soon thrown around the room as they fell into another desperate love-making session.
Chuck had gone back to his room to change for the evening meeting and dinner.
Sarah showered and got herself ready. As she put makeup on and looked in the mirror, she saw the picture of happiness facing her. She knew she still looked attractive. The CIA creation was an attractive blonde, but she never sparkled like this. This was Chuck Bartowski's creation, a vibrant version of what had left the CIA.
There was a tap on the door, and Sarah walked over and opened it.
Two happy co-workers stood outside. They both looked her up and down. "Wow! Meeting a man you like has transformed you!" Cindy said.
"Where's that introverted loner we arrived with?" Alex asked.
Sarah grinned at them. "Gone," she answered Alex. "I've never been happier." She ducked back into the room to grab her things and walked with them to the elevator.
They told her of their day out, and she said she stayed in, as she knew Bangkok and wanted to save herself for the rest of the tour. They looked knowingly at each other but said nothing.
When they reached the others, Sarah introduced the girls to Chuck, his sister and her husband. Then, they were led into the restaurant.
The tour manager told the group about the following day before they ate. They would stay in Bangkok, but go to purely tourist locations, so Sarah felt safe. They would visit the temples of the Emerald Buddha and the Reclining Buddha, as well as the Grand Palace.
Ellie and the girls all looked forward to the evening's entertainment planned for the end of the day, a dinner while watching a traditional dance performance. Sarah would skip that. An evening out was just what she wanted to avoid in Bangkok.
The group all seemed pleasant, and the meal went well.
Of course, the night Sarah shared with Chuck Bartowski went even better.
The day's tour was interesting. Sarah had never had time to explore when in the city before, so it was all new to her. Chuck's excitement added to that, making her even happier.
Of course, she was alert the entire time, her eyes everywhere, but there were no threats in these locations, just as she expected.
She managed to persuade Chuck to go out for the evening with Ellie and Devon, so she spent the time on her own, thinking about what had happened to her. She got changed for bed and lay down in thought.
In two days, Chuck Bartowski had turned her world upside down.
When she left the CIA, she had settled into the life she had hoped for. A danger, and admittedly, excitement free life, with a safe job and a sufficient salary that meant she didn't have to draw on what she had saved over the years. She was renting a pleasant apartment in a quiet area of the city and expected to stay there for the long term. Alone, just as she preferred.
So, two years later, meeting Chuck changed her perspective completely. Thoughts of that apartment being her safe haven from the world no longer felt right. She wanted Chuck in it with her. She certainly didn't want to be on her own anymore.
As he'd said, it wasn't just the sex. She had never felt such a connection with anyone before. She'd never felt connected, period.
She drifted off, thinking of her curly-haired boyfriend.
In her past, if the bed moved and woke her, she would have instantly grabbed a weapon from under her pillow, either a gun or a knife, and defended herself. Over two years, she had weaned herself off taking weapons to bed, but her senses were instantly alert as the mattress shifted slightly.
Then, she recognized the cologne Chuck wore, and she relaxed. She opened her eyes and looked over at what had become his side of the bed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he murmured.
"Impossible not to, my love," she responded. "I wasn't sure you'd sleep here tonight."
"And miss waking with the woman of my dreams? No, thank you."
"Hmm. Says the man of my dreams."
He kissed her, but didn't want to fully wake her, so he lay quietly as they settled down to sleep, with her facing away and him spooning her.
The next day, they set off from Bangkok. This was the start of their coach journey, but it wouldn't be the only coach used. This one just took them to the border with Cambodia.
The walk across the border at Aranyaprathet was bizarre. Across the 200‐yard 'no man's land' between the two countries. When they reached the other side, they had to find their cases and stay with them as they waited for the Cambodian coach to arrive. When it did, they were also introduced to the Cambodian tourist guide.
They traveled to Sisophon for lunch and then on to Battambang for an overnight stop.
The following day was the start of their time in Siem Reap. A boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake showed them daily life in its floating villages. Chuck, inevitably, was completely in awe of the people they saw there.
The following day, however, was the highlight of the trip for most of them. A day at Angkor Wat, the best preserved of all the Angkor temples. It was a truly stunning experience. Sarah was amazed by this temple and how fantastic it looked with its reflection in the water in front of it.
The orange-clad Buddhist monks touring the site at the same time surprised Sarah, but not as much as the one taking a selfie of himself with the temple behind him.
The next day, they proceeded to the incredible Ta Prohm temple, which had been left to the clutches of the jungle, literally. The trees merging with the stone walls.
As the coach stopped, the temple was not visible, but as they walked to it, the condition became obvious.
"Oh my god," Chuck said. "I am visiting this place with a gorgeous, athletic blonde that is every bit like Lara Croft."
Sarah was confused. "Lara Croft?"
"She started as a treasure-hunting adventurer in a computer game but was also filmed in a couple of movies. In one of those, they came here."
Chuck's explanation did little to clarify things for Sarah, but she allowed Chuck to take many photos of her posing in front of entranceways with the trees intertwined through the temple walls.
She was determined to see the movie when they got back to LA.
Ellie, Devon, Alex and Cindy all seemed to enjoy themselves, but not as much as Chuck.
The following day, the Bayon temple they saw as their last of the Angkor relics was also very impressive, and then they were back in the coach and heading for the border with Vietnam.
Sarah slept most of the way. It seemed that lack of sleep overnight each night, amazing though it was, required her body to catch up some time. She apparently missed seeing water buffalo and rice fields. She had seen both before, so didn't feel she'd missed much.
The border crossing at La Dom was more officious than their entry into Cambodia, but once through, they found their luggage had been transferred to a new coach with a Vietnamese driver and guide, not that there would be much guiding needed for this part of the journey.
They headed toward their final destination, Hoi An. They wouldn't get there that day but stay at a small town en route. Sarah didn't care where she and Chuck slept as long as they were together. Her desire for him was certainly not diminishing.
The following day, they reached the beautiful town of Hoi An. Sarah fell in love with the place. This wasn't the crazy overpopulated Vietnam she remembered from her time in Ho Chi Minn City when in the CIA, but a colorful town of timber-framed buildings and people on push bikes. The food was delicious and the people were lovely.
Many of their group were keen to get to the beach but neither Chuck nor Sarah felt that and enjoyed exploring the town on their own.
The next day would see them all leaving for their flights from Da Nang airport, so the final dinner that evening was their last together as a group.
That was true for Chuck and Sarah as a couple, too. His flights would ultimately take him to Chicago, where he would briefly stay with his sister before flying to Los Angeles. Sarah, however, would fly with Alex and Cindy back to LAX. None of the flights were direct, and the travel time would be lengthy.
For the newly-formed couple, this was going to be their first time apart, and it felt like forever. It was actually only five days, but they had been inseparable while here. He would come straight to her when he returned to Los Angeles, which was thankfully the weekend, so she wouldn't need to book more time off for their reunion.
Neither got any sleep that night, making the most of their last time together for what felt like far too long.
The tearful farewells the next day were painful. That included those between Sarah and Ellie and Devon.
"You must come and visit us in Chicago," Ellie told her.
Sarah found she didn't want to let Chuck go. She would have been horrified two weeks earlier at how clingy she had become. Where was the self-assured, independent woman?
However, they did separate.
She tried to interact with her co-workers on their journey home, but once they were on the long-haul flights, she chose to sleep.
All flight connections worked smoothly, thankfully.
She finally got a taxi back to her apartment and slumped onto her bed almost as soon as she arrived home. She had the next day off to reorient herself, but then she would be back to work for two days.
Inevitably, she spent a lot of the next day on the phone with Chuck.
"You might as well have come to Chicago with us for all the time we're getting with him!" Ellie yelled from the background.
"A phone call isn't the same as holding his hand and kissing him," Sarah yelled back. And it really wasn't.
The first day back at work was very different from normal.
She usually walked to her office, past the girls who worked for her, nodding to those that looked up, although most didn't. She wasn't the approachable type. She wasn't unfriendly, just not talkative. The girls knew this.
However, Alex and Cindy had obviously come in early and talked. All eyes were on Sarah as she walked around the corner into their area. The grins on the faces told her what she needed to know. She stopped and looked at her team.
"Yes, I met someone while on vacation, and yes, we are still together, or will be when he returns to Los Angeles. However, I warn you. I'll be grumpy today and tomorrow while he's not here."
She walked through to her office but actually smiled to herself at the whoops and cheers.
Jane, her assistant, had been running the team well, and Sarah thought, not for the first time, that she herself was no longer really needed. Pulling the team together had needed her, but now?
As she worked through her emails and paperwork, Sarah found those thoughts lingering. If she stopped here, what would she do instead? She had no inclination to go back into the intelligence business, and this translation work suited her. Not only that, it kept her in Los Angeles, somewhere she now wanted to stay more than anything.
The day dragged on, but she eventually got home and spent the evening talking to her boyfriend. He was clearly missing her and looking forward to coming back to Los Angeles the following evening.
Late morning the next day, Sarah got a call from her boss, Tony Farmer. "Can you come and see me, Sarah? Something has come up."
"Sure," she replied.
When she entered his office, he pointed at his visitor's chair, and she settled into it.
"How was your vacation?" he asked. He wasn't a people person, so she knew he was only asking because it was expected.
"I had a wonderful time."
He looked surprised at that response but quickly covered it.
"We've had a request from a potential new client. A very specific request." He paused and looked at her. "We don't normally agree to requests for specific staff on projects, as you know, but this one specifically asked for you, who we don't assign out now, as you're a manager. However, this client was very persuasive, financially."
Sarah tensed and had a bad feeling about this, but asked, "Why me?"
"They want one person, but with a number of language skills." He looked closely at her. "It was almost as if the woman I spoke to was reading from your resume."
"Who the hell is this?" she asked, fearing someone from her past had caught up with her.
"The potential client is Carmichael Systems. They develop cybersecurity software, but also have a games arm too."
How she managed to keep a straight face was beyond her. Chuck!
She sat back and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
"I will send you all we have on them. You can call the woman who requested you, a Pauline Quirk, the CEO's personal assistant. He is out of town this week, so you can't talk to him directly." He looked at her seriously. "I won't push you, but this would be a very lucrative contract for us, particularly if you can expand the business when you are in there."
She took the business card he pushed across the desk for Ms. Quirk and left his office. She headed to the break room rather than her office and called Chuck.
"I was wondering when I'd get a call," he said gleefully.
"What have you done?" she asked as she grinned.
"Requested the best linguist to work with my team," he replied. "We want our games translated and our business software, too. There's quite a lot to do."
"And the CEO, who's that?" She had guessed, but this was fun.
"Charles Carmichael," he replied. "You'll recognize him when you see him, although he's a bit of a recluse."
"Would he be fantastic in the sack?"
He gasped. "What sort of person do you think he is?"
"I think he might be the man of my dreams who better be at my place tonight for a night of sex. I am desperate for him."
He dropped all pretense. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"I'm going to call Ms. Quirk now and arrange to see Mr. Carmichael on Monday," she told him.
"He'll be looking forward to it."
A/N: So, another Charah love story with a coach journey! A more confident Chuck than in canon, and Sarah drops her walls quicker, but they still have some similar characteristics, in addition to being head-over-heels about each other. I think, if it hadn't been for the handler/asset problems, they would have been together very quickly. Maybe not instantly like this, but what the hell….
Just one more chapter after this one. Seriously.