A/N: I know it's been a while. OK, four months, but I've been a little preoccupied. I can't promise frequent updates to this as I try to focus on Matchmaker, but I thought it deserved some attention given the requests I've gotten. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

Chapter 4

Sarah stood facing herself in the mirror, sighing in frustration. The reason she'd come to Serenity, rented this villa, was to escape; escape her old job, her old relationships, her old life. She needed a fresh start to reflect on what she wanted to do with her life, where the next chapter would take her. She was done with the spy life; that she knew for certain. Sadly, she had no friends outside of the spy life, and the friends she did have, Carina and Zondra, had their own complicated lives to contend with. They were still "in the game", so missions often made them unavailable, making it difficult to talk with them about her problems. She wasn't even sure if she had that kind of relationship with them.

Carina rarely took things seriously, unless there was gunplay involved, and even then she was quick with a joke. She played by her own set of rules, living fast and loose, in every sense of the term. Carina had done a lot to help Sarah unwind, preventing her from burning out in the spy life too quickly. Zondra, while adventurous in her own right, was much more subdued than Carina; more serious and reflective. They were all close, having each other's backs, despite a short falling out with Zondra that resulted in splitting up their team. Eventually, their friendship was mended, and while they went on to solo missions, or other teams, they still stayed in touch, at least as best they could.

Trying to converse with her friends was agonizingly slow, so much so that postal mail seemed nearly instant. She'd texted Carina and Zondra from her burner phone weeks ago when she'd left the Company, but since they were both on assignments, they hadn't replied yet. She wasn't sure what help they would be even if they did call. They weren't ones for deep, philosophical conversations, but in their defense neither was she. The only person Sarah had ever made an effort to open up to, if you could call it that, was her most recent partner.

That's all Bryce was; just a partner. At one time she had thought there was more, or could have been more. In hindsight, she realized she wanted more, just not with him. He'd made that decision an easy one with his infidelity, lying and manipulation. She supposed his infidelity was only in her head, as he'd never been under the same assumption that they were "exclusive". That was a label that she'd imposed on their "partnership" in her own mind, but the reality was that Bryce was "Bryce". He was always going to look out for himself first. He thrived on the James Bond, playboy mystique the job afforded him and took every advantage he could.

If that wasn't enough of a wakeup call, him disappearing without so much as a note, made it abundantly clear that there was nothing real between them. Sarah had felt angry and foolish, but mostly at herself. She'd been raised by a conman, indoctrinated into that way of life, yet she let herself get conned. It only served to punctuate her growing hatred for the life she was leading, ultimately resulting in her resignation. It had taken a couple weeks of paperwork and bureaucracy, but she was free. Following that, Sarah needed some time, some solitude, to figure out who she was now, what she wanted from life.

When she'd seen the online posting for the villa for rent, saw the picturesque scenery and the promise of peace and quiet, she jumped at the chance. It seemed like it was just what the doctor ordered to help get her mind right. When she arrived, it was everything she could have hoped for. There was no big city white noise, only the breeze in the trees and the distant sounds of farm animals. It was as if she'd turned off the world, along with the racing in her mind, and could finally take a breath. Yet, just when she thought she could start her journey of "self-discovery", a tall, handsome, unassuming man knocked on her door and threw all of that out the window.

She'd sworn she would focus solely on herself, no distractions, and certainly no men. That is until Chuck, with his goofy smile, kind heart and self-deprecating humor knocked her on her ass. She found herself inexplicable drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. After their lunch date… outing…. thing… Gah! No matter how much she tried to convince herself, it felt like a date, or at least what she imagined a date should feel like. Talking with him, smiling with him, it all felt so effortless. She wasn't sure if she was floating or falling, the only discernible difference being the potential of an abrupt stop at the end. And there had been a stop, though it had been all her own doing. She'd tried to separate herself from him, convince herself that time away from him would allow her to regain her focus, to work on figuring out her life moving forward.

Sarah spent the few days following their… time together… familiarizing herself with her villa and the hamlet at large. She'd spent much of the time alone, reading, taking walks to explore the area, but stopping to talk with her neighbors on occasion. She found she enjoyed getting to know her neighbors, though it seemed no matter the conversation, it always worked its way to including Chuck somehow. They all had some anecdote of how humorous it had been when he first arrived in their hamlet, not knowing the language or culture. Initially, they had been apprehensive about the outsider, despite him trying so hard to fit in, to belong. It didn't take long for Chuck to ingratiate himself with the people of Serenity by just being himself. Simply offering a helping hand, selflessly pitching in when he saw a need, that was what people remembered the most.

Everyone she spoke to had a deep fondness for Chuck and appreciated everything he had done for their small community, though she sensed they were only telling part of the story. They regaled her with tales of his selfless acts, helping them with any problems that arose, big or small. While they might have teased him about not knowing Italian, they respected him immensely. It all reinforced what she'd come to believe about Chuck in the short time she'd known him; he was a good and kind man that genuinely liked helping people.

Sarah had attempted to distance herself from Chuck, preventing herself from falling too quickly for him, but it had failed spectacularly. He had texted her a few times and she'd given short, direct responses, trying not to encourage him. Chuck invited her to lunch and out for a walk, but both times she declined, making up ridiculous excuses. Despite her best efforts to put some space between them, everywhere she went there were reminders of him, and not just her conversations with her neighbors.

Every morning when she stepped out of bed and felt the warm floor beneath her feet, she couldn't help but think of him and smile. While on her walks, she'd wandered through the vineyard and the farm, even visiting Milo, and it all reminded her of the nearly perfect day she'd spent with Chuck. Sarah had spotted him in passing several times, usually while she was engrossed in a conversation with a neighbor or while he was in the midst of helping someone as she was out on a walk. He would give a hesitant wave, which she would return, only to catch herself and school her features.

She knew he likely felt like she was ghosting him, and Sarah supposed she was, though not for the reasons he probably assumed. Through all of it, all she'd manage to do was make herself miserable. She … missed him. She missed their talks, his laugh, and especially his smile. What she missed most of all was the comfortable feeling she had when she was around him. Sarah was fighting a losing battle with herself. Finding someone like Chuck was definitely not part of the brochure when she rented this place, but she was discovering that there was so much more here than she'd ever expected.

Sarah had been invited to Giulia's for dinner, which had given her an opportunity to dress up a little, at least more so than the jeans and t-shirts she'd been wearing as of late. Smoothing down her modest dress, she checked herself over one last time in the bathroom mirror. She caught herself wondering if Chuck would like the dress, remembering fondly the wide-eyed look of reverence she'd seen on his face several days ago. She wasn't sure if she trusted herself to enter into any kind of relationship, especially with someone as kind and … innocent as Chuck. Her life had been touched by deceit and death, tainting the very ground she walked on. She knew that on the outside she was beautiful, she'd been cultivated early in her career to present herself that way. Chuck seemed attracted to her pretty packaging, but if he ever saw what was inside, he'd surely run in terror. Despite that, she selfishly still wanted to be near him. Even if all she could reasonably expect was friendship, it would be better than being alone. Shaking the thought, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before heading out.

With a bottle of wine from her villa's cellar, not wanting to show up empty handed, she walked the short distance to Guilia's house and knocked on the thick, wooden door. The sun was starting to set, so there was a slight chill in the air, though not quite enough to warrant a jacket. Sarah turned to take in the view when a noise at the door caused her to return her attention.

"Sarah! Benvenuto. Come in," the older woman offered, gesturing for her to enter. Sarah nodded graciously, smiling genuinely.

"Thank you for having me," Sarah replied. She made it a point to speak in Italian with her neighbors, hoping that they would appreciate the small gesture. She knew some of them spoke English, but as they say, when in Rome… or Serenity, in this case.

"You have a lovely home," Sarah commented, admiring the decor. The house wasn't dissimilar in design and style from her own villa, though it lacked some of the more modern touches. It looked more lived in, with family photos and old knick-knacks on walls and bookshelves. It was more "homey".

"Thank you. That's very kind. Can I take that for you?" Giulia asked, pointing to the wine bottle.

"Oh, yes. Please. I wasn't sure what was on the menu this evening. I hope that's alright?" she questioned, gesturing to the bottle.

"It's perfect. No wine goes to waste around here," she joked, patting Sarah on the arm. "Come. Everyone is just through here." Giulia gestured for Sarah to follow, the two making their way into the sitting room. To Sarah's surprise, there were already several people standing around talking. She recognized most of them from her walks, and was quickly introduced to those she didn't know. They began relating stories of how they'd met Sarah and asked her how she liked Serenity so far.

"I've been to a lot of places all around the world, but no place has ever felt more like home than here. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. Well, except for Sophia, but I think we're coming to an understanding." Everyone laughed, well aware of Sophia's eccentricities. The conversation continued and the wine flowed as they waited for dinner. Sarah thought she heard a knock at the door, but being engaged in conversation with a middle-aged woman, Mia, and her husband Davide, she didn't pay it much attention. That was until the room shouted in unison as their focus shifted to someone behind her.

"Riccioli!" Sarah spun around to see Chuck, sheepishly waving at everyone. When he locked eyes with her, Chuck froze, his smile dimming slightly. She could see his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed, clearly showing he was both surprised and nervous to see her. Giulia spoke to him, pulling his attention away as she took a covered dish from him. This broke the momentary spell Sarah had been under at seeing him again. From his expression, Sarah had the sinking suspicion that he wasn't all that happy to see her. Why should he be, after she'd avoided him or put him off for days? She knew this was all her fault, once again. Sarah was terrible at forming real relationships, not having much practical experience, but she knew she could do better. She wanted to do better. There was no reason that she and Chuck couldn't be friends. It didn't have to be more than that.

Sarah excused herself from her conversation and sought out Chuck, hoping she could speak with him and try to fix things. She had no idea how, but she needed to try, if not for her sake then for his. Before she reached him, Giulia announced that dinner was ready, and everyone made their way to the dining room, thwarting Sarah's plan. Everyone found a seat around the long dining table, pairing up with spouses. Whether by luck or divine intervention (or perhaps Giulia's intervention), Chuck was seated directly across from Sarah.

There were decanters of wine and platters of Fettunta on the table with plates of panzanella in front of each guest. The food looked and smelled incredible, but Sarah found herself more focused on the man across from her. It was obvious that he was trying not to stare at her, but Sarah caught his glances just as he turned his attention to his food or the conversation around the table. She wanted to reach across the table and grab him, force him to look at her, but that wouldn't do well in the middle of the dinner party. So, instead, she played the same game, sparing a glance at him, biding her time until dinner was over.

The main course was a Tordelli Lucchese, a non-pretentious ravioli-type dish with a meaty ragu that was the epitome of comfort food. Sarah had been to lavish dinner parties with cocktail dresses and exotic cuisine, but this felt comforting, like home. While the flavors were amazing, so simple and wholesome, it felt like a million miles from the life she'd left behind. Without even realizing it, she'd closed her eyes while enjoying the meaty pasta dish, letting it take her away, not to a simpler time in her past, but to the simpler times ahead.

When she opened her eyes she saw Chuck staring back at her, a look of concern on his face. She felt a little embarrassed at being discovered, but when he mouthed "You ok?" she felt her insides smile. Quickly her outsides caught up, giving him an appreciative smile as she nodded. Not wanting to let this moment pass too quickly, she mouthed a "thank you" in reply. As she'd hoped, he gave her a small smile in return. They held each other's gaze for a moment longer as they ate, until a question was raised from down the table.

"Sarah, forgive me for asking, but what is it that you do?" Davide asked, taking another slice of Fettunta from the platter in front of him. Sarah was dreading these discussions, not that she hadn't come up with a convincing cover story, she just hated the idea of continuing to lie, especially now that she was out of the game.

Caught with a mouth full of food, she held up a finger as she chewed, helping to buy her some time. Davide chuckled, seeing her struggling to chew more quickly. "It's OK. Take your time. It's just not often we get outsiders here. Serenità isn't exactly close to any major city, so people don't come here for 'work', if you will."

Sarah nodded her agreement as she swallowed her food, taking a sip of wine to wash it down. "Right. I'm definitely not here for work. I'm in between jobs at the moment, actually. My last job was very … demanding. I always had to be available at a moment's notice and it required a lot of traveling. While it was exciting at first, it got to be very exhausting and … lonely." Sarah gave them a tight smile, letting a little of the genuine sadness show through. She felt a little better that it wasn't entirely a lie. While the nature of her job may have been left out, the resulting unhappiness was all too real. Glancing around the table, she saw sympathetic smiles and nods of understanding; that was, until she came to Chuck. He was glancing around the table, looking lost before he turned his attention back to his food, absentmindedly moving it around his plate. It was then that it dawned on her that she'd been talking to everyone in Italian. She wanted to kick herself for excluding Chuck, knowing that he didn't understand much Italian, especially within the context of a conversation.

"Oh, Chuck. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking," she said, her voice full of remorse. Chuck's head shot up in surprise, taken aback by her comment.

"Oh, no. It-it's fine. Don't mind me," he reassured her, waving it off with a forced chuckle. Despite his words, it was clear in his body language that it wasn't fine. He had undoubtedly felt left out, and maybe he frequently felt that way when around these people. Without a good understanding of the language, it must feel lonely when you're left out of all of the conversations, the jokes and stories; always feeling like you're on the outside. Even so, Chuck tried to put on a happy face, not letting on when things bothered him.

The more she thought of it, the more she realized how alone he must feel here sometimes. He'd remarked about how kind everyone was, and while that was true, he was still an outsider, much like herself. The big difference was, he had family, at least a sister, but she was thousands of miles away. Sarah had nobody, but she'd been accustomed to that for a decade or more. Chuck had said he fell in love with the countryside, the people, which was why he'd left his life behind in California to come here. That seemed like a rather drastic change, especially for someone so young. Perhaps they had more in common than she realized. Maybe he was here, like her, to hide away, regroup. Her curiosity piqued, Sarah was going to make it her mission to get to know him better.

"Maybe we could all use English tonight?" Sarah asked the people around the table. "I hate to exclude Chuck from our conversations." Everyone concurred, giving their apologies to Chuck.

"You don't need to apologize. You shouldn't have to change, just for me. I should be the one learning your language so I can participate, not the other way around." It had been made clear to Sarah, through the stories shared about Chuck, that he was very selfless, always giving. What he had a hard time with was receiving praise or accepting help from others.

"Chuck, it's what friends do," she declared, holding his gaze. Sarah watched a tight smile grow across his face. The candles on the table danced in his eyes and she could see them taking on a more glassy appearance than before. Chuck swallowed thickly, before nodding and dropping his gaze down to his plate, no longer able to maintain eye contact.

Clearing her throat, Sarah went on to reiterate her previous story, this time in English for Chuck's benefit. It seemed to help draw him out, as he watched her and listened intently. As the conversation evolved to other topics, Chuck began to interject, contributing his own stories or interesting facts. It was good to see him opening up, much like he'd done when they had their outing several days ago.

During dessert, they sat around eating tiramisu and drinking coffee, the conversation light. A comment that had been made in passing earlier in the evening came back to her, prompting Sarah to pose the question.

"So who is it that owns the large villa at the top of the hill?" she asked, looking around the room for a response. Oddly, everyone looked at each other before Giulia spoke up.

"The person that owns your villa, he also owns that larger villa," she answered, leaving it at that.

"So, does he live there? I'd kind of like to meet him and give him my compliments," Sarah added, taking a bite of her creamy desert. Giulia hesitated for a moment, looking around the room.

"Uh, no. He doesn't actually live there. It's used mostly by the community for hosting parties, housing guests and things like that," Guilia replied, waving it off as if it were inconsequential. Normally, she might take it at face value, but there seemed to be something off. Sarah's instincts told her that the older woman was hiding something, though she wasn't sure what. In fact, from her dealings with the inhabitants of the hamlet, there seemed to be something left unspoken and it was beginning to nag at her. When she glanced at Chuck, she could see that he was hyper focused on his dessert, not even looking up as she'd asked her question. It was most curious.

As the evening wound down, people offered their thanks for the meal and the company as they headed to their respective homes. Sarah and Chuck did likewise and Sarah wanted to seize this opportunity to talk with Chuck.

"Hey, Chuck. Walk me home?" she asked, feeling a bit sheepish for asking. They were in a quiet, remote hamlet, a stone's throw from her villa, so the question was clearly suspect. Chuck froze for a moment, blinking in surprise before a small smile escaped. He did his best to hide it, turning his lips to the side.

"Um, yeah. Sure," he replied hesitantly, gesturing for her to lead the way. They walked in silence for a few seconds, giving Sarah a moment to formulate a plan.

"I was surprised to see you there tonight. I mean, I guess I shouldn't be. You live here too. I just…" Sarah blew out a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry about this week," she stated, turning to look at him as they walked. His genuinely confused expression forced her to continue. "I've been… I've been dodging you, pushing you away and I'm sorry."

"Pfft. It's fine. I get it. I… I can be a lot. I ramble on about nothing and everything, and on top of that I tend to outstay my welcome," he admitted stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stared at the ground.

"No! No, that's not… that's not it at all. I…" she trailed off, blowing out a long breath. "How do I put this?" she asked rhetorically. "I came here to try to make some kind of sense to my life. To regroup; recuperate. Kind of like a … monastery, locking myself away from the world to reflect." She glanced to the side and saw Chuck nodding as he walked, his brow furrowed in concentration. "But when I got here, my plans kind of got tossed out the window. I met someone totally unexpected and I've been struggling with what to do about that." Sarah paused, sparing a glance at Chuck. She noticed him stop abruptly, then slowly turn his gaze to meet hers.

He stared at her with a questioning gaze and Sarah was hoping she wouldn't have to spell it out, say it out loud. His expression slowly changed, his furrowed brow relaxing and his eyes widening. Wordlessly he pointed at his chest, his eyebrow quirked up in question. She couldn't help but chuckle at his look of innocent surprise, her cheeks reddening slightly as a smile spread across her face. With no further reply she continued walking.

After a moment she could hear Chuck's pace quicken to catch up, falling in line beside her again. Clearing her throat she continued. "Like I said, I'm not sure what to do about it. I… I'm not good with … relationships. I don't even know who I am any more, let alone what I could be or should be for somebody else. I guess what I'm saying… I don't know what I'm saying," she huffed in exasperation.

"It sounds like you could use a friend," Chuck offered quietly. Sarah's pace slowed as she turned to consider Chuck. He gave her a tight smile and a small shrug. She couldn't help but smile, Chuck coming to the rescue, as he seemed to do, offering her up a way out of the hole she was digging. She could see that friendship wasn't all he was interested in, and the truth was, neither was she. However, it was a necessary first step. She felt differently about Chuck than anyone she'd ever know, and to misstep here, jumping into things too quickly threatened to ruin it. So she would start with friends, learn to master that before graduating to … more.

"A friend sounds really great, actually. You uh… you know where I might be able to pick one of those up?" she asked with a wry smile. Thankfully Chuck seemed to pick up on her playful banter, tapping his finger on his chin in exaggerated contemplation.

"Hmmmm. Let's see…. A friend…" he trailed off. Chuck began to frisk himself, patting down his chest and finally his pants. 'You know… I had one laying around…. Maybe it's in my other pants?" Sarah was brimming with affection at that display he was making, causing any awkwardness to evaporate.

"Wait! Nope. Here he is," gesturing to himself in revelation, a goofy grin gracing his face. It was a bit cheesy but caused a flutter in her stomach that coursed throughout her body. She wasn't sure this "just friends" thing was going to last long, but she owed it to both of them to work at it.

A giggle bubbled up out of Sarah, taking even her by surprise. Shyly she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she ducked her head. Bringing her gaze back to meet his, they stood there for a long moment. Chuck's eyes flicked over her shoulder then back to her eyes, his lips twisting a bit in a failed attempt to mask a frown.

'Well, I guess this is it," he breathed out, gesturing behind her. It was then that Sarah realized that they were at her doorstep and she felt herself fighting a frown as well.

'Right. This is me." Sarah really didn't want the night to end, but she didn't trust herself in this moment to invite him in and still stick with her plan. She certainly couldn't continue to evade him like she'd been doing. "Um… maybe tomorrow we could, I dunno, do something?" she asked, fidgeting with the belt on her dress.

"Tomorrow? Um... yeah. Well, in the morning I have to go to town to pick up some things and run some errands." Sarah nodded, giving him a tight smile, trying not to show her disappointment. "But, if you want to come with me, I wouldn't mind the company."

Sarah met his gaze, her lips curling into a true smile. "Yeah. I'd like that. Pick me up here?"

"Sure. Is 7:30 too early? It's a little bit of a drive so I wanted to get an early start," he asked with a wince. Sarah groaned in faux exasperation, rolling her eyes.

"You're really testing this friendship right out of the gate, aren't you?" she teased, causing Chuck to laugh nervously. She could see that he was struggling, uncertain if she was really joking or not. Putting him out of his misery she continued. "Yes. 7:30 is fine. Are these… casual errands or should I wear my fancy errand outfit?"

Chuck snorted at her question, seeming to gain a little confidence with her teasing. "I'm wearing my casual errand clothes, but you're welcome to wear what you like." The raised eyebrow and wry smile she gave him caused Chuck to amend his last statement. "Not-Not whatever. Like… OK to wear in public clothes. Something that won't cause me to wrap the car around a tree." That caught Sarah by surprise, laughing at his comment. He seemed pleased that he'd made her laugh, especially since it was "with" him and not "at" him.

"Gotcha. So I shouldn't wear my bikini is what you're saying?"

'Oh God," he groaned in a strangled voice, looking like he might melt on the spot or pass out. Giggling again she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek, without even thinking. They both froze, Sarah having only pulled away a short distance, close enough that they could feel each other's breath. If either of them were actually breathing that is.

"So, um… sev-seven thirty?" Chuck asked, swallowing thickly as he stared at her lips. Mutely, Sarah nodded, pulling away further before she did something even worse.

"I'll see you then. 'Night Chuck," she waved with a kind smile. He waved in return, a goofy grin on his face as he backed away. Naturally, he tripped over a dip in the yard, nearly falling on his ass. Sarah gaped and then covered her mouth to keep from giggling. Once he'd regained his balance Chuck put his hands in the air.

"I'm OK... I'm OK," he proclaimed, causing a one note chuckle to escape from Sarah. "I'll... I'll fix that dip. Don't you worry. Not tomorrow, naturally, but-but soon. It's definitely on my list," he declared, tapping his head. Sarah gave him another wave, trying, and failing, to mask her amusement. Chuck returned the wave, before turning around and heading down the pathway toward, what Sarah assumed, was his house. She could faintly hear him berating himself as he walked off into the night and Sarah finally succumbed to the giggle she'd been holding in.

Stepping inside her villa she made her way upstairs to get ready for bed. As she was entering her bedroom she heard a ringtone coming from her nightstand drawer. She raced to pull it open and grab the phone.

"Hello?" she rushed out, hoping she'd answered it in time.

"Blondie! Jesus Christ," the woman breathed out on the other end. "I've been trying to reach you for hours. I'm sorry, I just got your message. What the hell happened?" Sarah let out a slow breath, relieved to hear her friend's voice.

"Hey Carina. Sorry, I was having dinner at a neighbor's."

"Is that some kind of euphemism? Am I interrupting sexy time?"

"What? No! My neighbor was having a dinner party and I was invited."

"Wait. What?! I thought you didn't talk to any of your neighbors? You've lived in that apartment for years and never so much as said a word." Carina had a point, and that was true of Sarah's old apartment in DC. The differences between that cold, stark shoebox and the luxurious villa she was in now were too numerous to count. That wasn't the only difference though. Sarah supposed that she could have reached out to her DC neighbors, made an effort to know them, but that wasn't who she was then. Hell, it wasn't until she'd arrived in Serenity that the thought ever occurred to her.

"It's a long story, but I'm not in DC anymore. I moved out, put my stuff in storage and found a change of scenery."

"No shit? I wanna circle back to the "why" in a minute, but first off, are you OK? I mean… you're out? Like, really out? For good?"

"Yep," Sarah breathed out. "I'm out. Done." Carina let out a low whistle, followed by a moment of silence.

"Wow. That's… I… Are you OK?" Sarah could hear it in Carina's voice, she knew it was a stupid question, but was at a loss of what else to say.

"Actually… I'm really good. You'll laugh but I'm actually in Italy."

"What?! You're shitting me? After-"

"I know. I know. I was surprised too, but I found an ad online for this place and it just…. I dunno. It just felt right."

"Holy Shit…" Carina said, trailing off. "Well, son of a bitch," she chuckled. "As luck would have it, I'm in Rome." Sarah cracked up, amazed by the luck of it all.

"You're kidding? For how long?" Sarah asked, laying down on her bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Right now I'm luxuriating at the Hassler Roma. The douchebag we just busted booked this place for the next couple of nights, so I figured what the hell." She could hear Carina's shrug in her voice and the distinctive sound of liquid pouring into a glass.

"Drinking on his dime too, I see?" Sarah chuckled at Carina's hum of affirmation and the "ahhh" that followed the smacking of her lips. "Um… hey. If you've got some down time, why don't you come up and see me? I've got this great Tuscan villa, lots of wine and a spare bedroom. Maybe you could come stay for a minute. Give us a chance to ...talk."

"Talk? This is Sarah Walker, right?" Carina inquired teasingly.

"Shut up! Look, do you wanna come or not?" Sarah huffed, though it wasn't in anger. There was a long pause before Carina responded.

"Okay. I suppose I could use a little … time off. Where is this place?"

"It's in a tiny hamlet called Serenità. I'll text you directions. Cell reception and GPS are spotty at best on the way out here," Sarah warned, recalling the troubles she'd had finding the place.

"Alright. I gotta wrap things up here in the morning but I can probably be there late afternoon, early evening."

"That works. I'm supposed to be heading into town with Chuck in the morning, but I imagine we'll be back by then." As soon as it was out of her mouth she realized her mistake. Just the mention of a guy and Carina would be like a dog with a bone, not letting the subject go.

"I'm sorry, a what? What the fuck is a "Chuck?" Carina asked incredulously with a snort.

"Hey! He's just a friend, OK? Don't go making a whole thing about it," Sarah retorted, unable to keep her agitation out of her voice.

"Hey, no. I get it. We all need … "friends". I just thought that after-"

"Don't! Don't say it…" Sarah warned, gritting her teeth. "This is nothing like that. He is NOTHING like that, so please, just don't."

"Whoa… hey," Carina replied, sensing her friend's anger growing. "I hear ya. Loud and clear. So… Chaz, huh?"

"It's Chuck," Sarah corrected, with a slight exasperation.

"Does he have to be? I mean… 'Chuck'? Seriously? I thought 'Chuck' was like a ... pro bowler or a plumber or something." Sarah was silent for too long and Carina picked up on it. "Oh my God! He is, isn't he? He's what, a plumber? Are you shtupping some old Italian plumber?"

"I am not 'shtupping' anyone-"

"One look at that plumber's crack and-"

"Oh God! OK, I'm hanging up now," Sarah declared, thoroughly grossed out. Carina seemed quite proud of herself, cackling like a hyena.

"Ok. Ok. Fine… fine. Listen, I'll see you tomorrow, Blondie."

"Alright. Night, Red."

After sending Carina directions, Sarah blew out a breath, putting the burner phone back in her drawer. She was a bit excited to see her friend, having someone to talk to, but with Carina there was always an element of danger. She was a wildcard and got bored easily. She enjoyed stirring up trouble, and Sarah usually wound up cleaning up her messes.

As she made her way into the shower, her thoughts turned to Chuck and the dinner party, their walk home… that kiss. It was innocent, just a kiss on the cheek between friends. Although, it didn't feel like a kiss between friends, at least not to her. She was going to have to do a better job of reeling herself in, otherwise her plans, her friendship with Chuck could be at stake.

A/N2: So Sarah is making some strides at a normal relationship/friendship with Chuck. Everyone has to start somewhere, right? Soon we'll introduce Carina to their sleepy, little hamlet. What could possibly go wrong?

I always like to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a review or PM.

Until next time, please be safe and stay well.

JW