A/N: Welcome back! I know it's been a while but I thought it was time to pay a visit to our friends in Serenità. With the winter weather where I'm at, I could really use a little getaway to the Tuscan countryside. Come on. I saved you a seat.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

Chapter 7

Sarah decided to go for a run, enjoying the crisp morning air and the tranquility of their rural surroundings. She needed a chance to think after the long conversation that she and Carina had the night before. For her part, Carina was trying to be supportive and understanding, as much as Carina could be, but Sarah could still sense that her friend wasn't completely convinced about Chuck. Sarah couldn't blame her. The life Carina had lived, the experiences she'd had with men, had taught her to be distrustful. Sarah had shared in many of the same experiences, but Carina's sampling of men was a whole order of magnitude greater than hers.

On her outing with Chuck the day before, Sarah had thoroughly enjoyed herself, more than she could recall from recent memory. Chuck had been funny and charming, yet sweet and sincere at the same time. He really was better than any man she'd ever met. Still, there was so much about him that she didn't know. Were there skeletons in his closet as Carina feared? Was he too good to be true? He seemed to be, though he wasn't without his faults. Chuck definitely struggled with self-confidence, as was clear with his self-deprecating humor and nervous rambling. Sarah hated it when he put himself down, but she had to admit he was rather cute when he rambled, often shoving his foot further into his mouth. It tended to set her at ease knowing that she wasn't the only one that was a little nervous.

Nervous? She'd never been nervous around anyone before. Guarded, cautious, tense maybe, but never nervous. Perhaps because she'd never really had to pretend to be herself around anyone else. Sarah had to laugh at herself inwardly. "Pretending to be herself"? Most of her life she'd pretended to be somebody she wasn't. Now that she was allowed to be herself, was she still pretending? Who was the real Sarah Walker? The truth was that even "Sarah Walker" wasn't real, in name at least. True, it was her legal name now, but the history surrounding "Sarah Walker" was all crafted by the CIA.

Nothing about her was real. Well, that used to be the case. Since she'd arrived in Serenity, met the curly-haired caretaker and the welcoming people of this hamlet, she'd felt a sense of belonging that made her truly happy. That much was real. Sarah couldn't keep the smile off her face as she continued to run.

As she approached the hamlet, coming up on Guilia's store, she could see two people on the front stoop talking. As she drew nearer, the smile began to fade when she made out who they were. Carina was standing with her arms crossed and her hip cocked to one side in her typical challenging stance. She used it to great effect when she was trying to intimidate a mark. Unfortunately, in this instance, her mark was Chuck and Carina's stance seemed to have the intended effect. Stumbling backward down the couple of steps that led to the store, just barely able to remain upright, a very flustered and embarrassed Chuck waved his goodbye to Carina before turning to climb into his pickup truck and peel away.

Sarah slowed to a walk as she neared her friend, the sound of running shoes on the gravel causing Carina to turn. The amused grin on the redhead's face changed to an almost sheepish grin, like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"What did you do?" Sarah questioned, unable to keep the edge out of her tone.

"Moi?" Carina replied, pressing her hand to her chest in faux innocence; as if her friend had any other kind.

"Don't give me that bullshit. I just saw him tear out of here like he'd seen a ghost. Clearly you said something to get to him. What did you say?"

"We were just having a friendly chat, that's all." The incredibly flat look Sarah gave her caused the other woman to drop her pretenses. "I was just having a little fun," she sighed in resignation.

"Please, do me a favor and ease up on him? I'm sure I'll do a good enough job of scaring him off sooner or later, I don't need your help," Sarah pleaded, her tone growing serious. Carina let out a long, exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes.

"Fine. Fine! I'll leave Chuckles alone. I still think there's something up with him. He's a little too nice, if you ask me. And what's up with this town... village… thing? Everyone's so nice and polite. It's a little too Stepford for my liking. It creeps me the hell out," Carina declared with a shiver.

Rolling her eyes and chuckling at her friend, Sarah brushed past Carina and started the trek back to her villa. "I'm going home to grab a shower, then we can get some lunch," Sarah called back over her shoulder. As she got out of earshot, Carina pulled out her phone and dialed one of her contacts.

"Hey, Z. It's me. Yeah. Yeah, I found her. No, she's fine. Well, more or less. I need you to have one of your analysts run a full workup on someone for me… No, it's not for a mission; not exactly. Blondie's getting chummy with some nerd she met here, and I want to check her blind spots for her. I need everything you can find on a 'Charles, a.k.a 'Chuck' Bartowski'…. That's right. Bartowski… I dunno. There's something … 'too good to be true' about him... Thanks. Let me know what you find out. Smooches." Ending the call with a slight chuckle, Carina put her phone back in her pocket and started her walk back to the villa.

"Who are you Chuckles?" she whispered to herself, her brow furrowed in concentration.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah woke the next day to the offensive brightness of the mid-morning sun flooding her room. This intrusion only exacerbated the misery she felt from the events of the night before. She and Carina had made a game of sorts, sampling the expansive wine collection from the cellar. The drinking and talking had gone well into the early morning.

Painstakingly peeling one eye open and smacking her lips to try and generate some saliva to quench her parched mouth, she took stock of her situation. Laying in her bed, face down on top of her covers, still dressed in her clothing from the night before, she felt like she'd been hit by a truck. Sarah should have known better than to engage in any drinking challenges with Carina. As high as Sarah's tolerance was, Carina was a professional.

No sooner had the thought of her auburn-haired friend flitted through her mind that she heard her unmistakable voice. Blinking both eyes open, but squinting against the brightness, she made an effort to focus on the conversation. Sarah's bedroom faced the backyard, which is where the voice seemed to be coming from. There was another voice, lower and quieter, that she couldn't quite make out.

Sarah's mind, running through the list of men in the area that Carina might be talking to, suddenly jumped to the only logical option. Chuck! Against her better judgment, Sarah pushed herself up off the bed and rushed toward the French doors that led to a small balcony. The pain in her head, along with the stars that clouded her vision, gave her a moment's pause to steady herself. Pressing her hand to her forehead in a vain attempt to keep her brain from exploding, she staggered toward the noise.

A low growl began to emanate from her chest as she took in the scene below. Her suspicions had been correct. It was indeed Chuck, standing in the doorway of the backyard shed. She could tell by his body language that he was nervous, switching his weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting with his fingers. It was painfully evident why. Carina was standing in front of him, blocking his path. She was wearing a sinfully short silk robe, and perhaps little else. With a cup of coffee in one hand, she sensually traced her finger down his arm, practically leaving scorch marks in its wake. To his credit, Chuck's gaze was anywhere but on Carina, only chancing a brief glance at her face when addressing her directly. Sarah cracked open the door to the balcony in an effort to hear the conversation better.

"So, there's no.. 'Mrs. Chuck' hidden away somewhere? No …girlfriend?" She asked, biting her bottom lip and looking up at him through her lashes. It was a textbook seduction technique and Carina was a master.

"Me?! No. No, uh…. nope. There's nobody. Not … not for a long time," he stammered out, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed thickly.

"Hmm. That seems a shame," Carina said with a pout. "Maybe I could do something about that dry spell of yours." Chuck nearly choked, but quickly recovered, though Sarah could see the color in his cheeks and ears from her vantage point. Instantly, she felt a heat rise within her, a green-eyed rage growing in the pit of her stomach, creeping up into her chest.

"As fl-flattered and as.. intimidated as I am by your proposition, … why me?" he asked, in disbelief. Sarah watched the devilish grin grow across what she could see of Carina's face from this angle. It was that grin you got when you knew you'd hooked a mark.

"You're pretty cute-ish," Carina admitted with a shrug of her shoulder, "but um… the real reason is, … I like taking what Sarah wants." Sarah's heart leapt into her throat at Carina's admission. She knew it was true. Carina had always made a game of it, trying to steal men away from her whenever they went out on the town. It hadn't bothered Sarah that much, as any of those men would have only been a temporary distraction at best; Sarah had nothing invested. But now, Carina's words cut her to the quick. Carina, her friend -which was up for debate at the moment-, knew she had feelings for Chuck. Sarah had admitted as much, but perhaps she never really understood to what degree until this moment., as she watched helplessly as the man she'd grown to have feelings for was being seduced into Carina's bed. That's what Carina did, she lived in the moment, took what she wanted; took what Sarah wanted.

"Wh- uh… wh- m-me? N-no.. Nah. Sarah? …. Sarah doesn't… pfft." Chuck tried to wave off the comment as ridiculous, but there was a hint of something in his tone, as if he was pondering the notion for just a moment before dismissing it.

"I wouldn't be so sure, but if you're positive there's nothing going on between you two, maybe you could come check out the … water pressure in my shower. Sarah's still asleep. She'd never have to know. I can be very quiet when I have to be. What about you Chuck?" she asked, popping the "K". "Can you be … quiet?"

"Yes. I-I mean, no. Wh-what I mean is… I-I can't. I'm… I'm sorry, Carina," he said, his shoulders slumping slightly. Sarah watched in utter disbelief, the same sentiment reflected in Carina's face as she stared at the tall nerdy man in front of her.

"You're… an incredibly beautiful woman, but… that's just not who I am. I can't do… casual. There's no such thing as 'no strings attached'; not for me. I imagine there'll be nights I lay awake and regret it, but… I can't."

After a long silence, Sarah could barely hear the words escape Carina. "Holy shit." The auburn-haired friend let out a chuckle and shook her head. "Wow. I've… Wow. So that's what that feels like."

"Wh- I'm sorry. What?" Chuck asked, looking rather confused.

"Nothing," she replied, waving off her earlier comment. "I'm gonna head back inside, let you finish… whatever you're doing," she stated, waggling her fingers in the direction of the shed as she walked away. "I'll see ya around, Chuckie." With that Carina backed away, giving him a finger wave before turning toward the house. Carina's gaze panned up to meet Sarah's, as if she knew she was there the whole time. With Carina's situational awareness, it was quite possible that she'd known all along. Carina gave her friend a half smile and a shrug before disappearing into the house.

When Sarah turned her gaze back to where Chuck had been standing, she saw him facing into the shed, bracing himself on the door frame. Sarah had to grin at the fact that he hadn't watched Carina walk away, a tough feat given what little she'd been wearing. After he collected himself, he went inside the shed, disappearing from view.

Sarah closed the French door and backed away, letting the curtain fall back into place. She didn't know why, but she felt a smile building, one that started from deep within and radiated outward. A small giggle bubbled up out of her as she sat down on the bed, her previous headache and anger practically forgotten. If what Carina had done was a test, it would appear that Chuck had passed. Sarah had never known of anyone to turn down Carina Miller; ever. Until now. Until Chuck. If she needed any further proof that he was special, there it was in black and white. She almost felt bad for Carina. Almost.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The two friends didn't speak about the events of that morning, opting instead to take a day trip to Florence for lunch and shopping: a girl's day out. The conversation throughout the day had been superficial, but there was a slight tension in the air. Sarah caught herself numerous times wanting to relate something that Chuck had done or said, or to remark on how Chuck would love some historic landmark they passed. She knew it would only add credence to what Carina already believed. For her part, Carina didn't bring up Chuck, not even to make a joke or tease. On the surface it was a nice change, but it began to bother Sarah because that was definitely not the Carina she knew.

After a decadent lunch and hours of shopping, they made the return trip in order to be back by dinner time. Driving up the dusty lane into Serenita, they spotted Chuck walking with his tool bag in hand. It was immediately evident that something was wrong. His shoulders were slumped with his gaze fixed on the ground, his stride lacking that typical jovial bounce. Pulling up alongside him, Sarah lowered her window as she idled to match pace with him.

"Hey, Chuck," Sarah greeted, secretly hoping that her smile and warm tone might break him from his funk. He jumped slightly, turning to look at her, but instead of the smile she was hoping for, his expression looked troubled. "Everything OK?" she asked, furrowing her brow in concern.

"Yeah. Th-things are great," he replied with a shrug, though his flat tone belied something was definitely not great.

"We uh… we were thinking about making dinner soon. Would you be interested in joining us?" Sarah asked, hoping the offering of an olive branch might improve his mood. Much to her dismay, it almost seemed to have the opposite effect.

Coming to a stop he turned to face her, bending down slightly to glance through at Carina in the passenger seat before returning his gaze back to Sarah. "No thanks. I suspect you'll be rather busy." She watched him swallow thickly before he averted his gaze to the road ahead. Lifting his bag up, he nodded in the direction he'd been walking. "I'm sorry, but I really gotta go. Have a nice time." With that, he turned and started back down the road further into the hamlet.

Sarah watched him go, feeling at a complete loss for words. After a moment, she blinked herself out of her thoughts and turned to Carina, who was watching Chuck walk away with much the same expression.

"What the hell was that?" Carina asked, not taking her eyes off Chuck.

"I have no idea. Did I do something?" Sarah asked, more emotion in her voice than she'd meant to allow. "Do you think it has to do with this morning?"

Carina turned to look at her friend, then dropped her gaze to the center console of the car, looking contrite. "I hope not."

Shutting off her car, Sarah stepped out and began walking after Chuck. "Chuck! Wait up," Sarah called, jogging to catch up to him. He stopped momentarily but then continued walking, though at a slower pace. Finally reaching him, Sarah took hold of his arm, trying to get him to stop.

"Hey. What's the matter?" she asked, turning him to look at her. Chuck stopped, though he seemed reluctant and wouldn't meet her gaze, instead looking over her shoulder or at the ground.

"Nothing's the matter. Just some … misunderstanding on my part," he confessed. The bob of his Adam's apple and the look on his face made it clear he was upset.

"I don't understand. What misunder-"

"Sarah, look, …um… if you and your guest need anything, have any problems with the villa, just let Guilia or me know. I hope you all enjoy your stay. Now, please," he emphasized, practically pleading as he finally made eye contact, '' I have to go. Take care, Sarah." His eyes glassy and expression somber, he gently pulled away from her and turned to continue walking, not looking back.

Sarah could only stare in bewilderment and heartbreak as she watched him go. After another moment, Chuck veered off the road and down a pathway between some houses, disappearing into the hedgerow. Running her hands over her face and through her hair, Sarah blew out a sigh of hurt and frustration. She had no idea what was going on, but it felt like he'd just broken up with her, that is, if they were actually dating. Blinking away the stinging at the back of her eyes, she turned and walked back to her car in a daze.

Sitting in the driver's seat, she looked over at Carina who was staring back at her with concern. Sarah could only shrug, throwing her hands in the air in resignation. "I don't know." Sighing, Sarah started the car and proceeded to her villa, taking the driveway along the side and parking her Porsche in the garage.

The two women collected their spoils from their shopping trip and headed up the pathway to the villa. As they approached, both women stopped when they noticed that someone was sitting in one of the patio chairs with their back to them. Sarah and Carina shared a glance before they started toward the stranger, clearly a man. When they neared him, he stood up and spun around.

"Afternoon, ladies," the man stated, his smarmy tone oozing with charm. "Miss me?"

Sarah's heart plummeted into her stomach as a mix of emotions gripped her insides. Hurt, anger, betrayal, blind rage and the spectrum of emotions in between. She was speechless. Thankfully, Carina was not so afflicted.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Bryce?" Carina spat, the disdain she held for him on full display.

"Awww. I missed you too."

"Cut the shit. How did you find us?" Carina demanded, dropping her bags and taking a menacing step closer.

"Come on. I'm a spy," he crowed, holding his hands out to the sides, his expression even more smarmy than before, if such a thing was possible. Carina was clearly not impressed, and her expression made that evident. Carina took another step closer and Bryce realized his charms were not working, so opted to confess the truth.

"I saw you in Rome, outside your hotel. I placed a GPS tracker on your car. Spy 101, Carina." For all her beauty and sensuality, the growl that emanated from deep in her chest belied the hellfire that boiled below the surface.

Finally coming to her senses, Sarah grabbed Carina's arm, holding her friend back. "What do you want Bryce?" Sarah asked, her icy mask firmly in place.

"Aww, is that any way to greet your husband?" he asked with a faux pout, holding his arms out as he moved in for a hug.

"Any part of you touches me, you don't get it back," Sarah growled, her frosty words nearly making the nearby flowers wilt. "And you are most certainly NOT my husband. You can get any of those thoughts of an 'us' out of your head right now! We're not partners, we're not friends… we are nothing. So, I'll give you to the count of five to answer my question before I stuff your slimy ass in my wood burner so you can heat my house. At least then you'll be able to offer some kind of warmth for once." Carina slowly turned to look at Sarah, wide-eyed, letting out a low whistle and a nod of appreciation.

That remark seemed to strike a nerve, the oily smile falling from his face. Stiffening, he tried to compose himself, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket. "Look, can we go someplace and-"

"One," Sarah started, her expression unwavering. Her emotions were roiling inside, but she would never give him the satisfaction of seeing her rattled. That was exactly what he wanted; to put her on the defensive and throw her off balance. She was not about to let that happen.

"Sarah, it's complicated. If you'd-"

"Two."

"Dammit, Sarah! I need you." With that, Sarah threw her head back and burst into laughter.

"You need me, huh? Really? You are so full of sh-"

"No. It's true," he nearly pleaded. "There's this deep cover mission. They need the Andersons. I need the Andersons. We would be perfect; you and me. This is big, Sarah. Huge! Like…a career-maker kind of thing."

"In case you didn't get the memo, I'm retired. I don't work for the Company anymore," she replied, folding her arms across her chest as she stood her ground.

"Pfft. I don't buy that for a second. You're all about the job, you always have been. You eat, sleep and breathe it. It's in your blood; your DNA. You and me, we're the same. Always pushing for that next mission."

Sarah weighed his words and found that they were a pretty accurate summary. At least they had been. At some point she had changed. Not just because he abandoned her, betrayed her. No, she wouldn't give him that much credit. The fact of the matter was, she wasn't that person any longer because she realized there were better things out there. She had no overwhelming desire to rush off to far corners of the world for some mission. The only adventure she was interested in was whatever she might encounter on a walk with Chuck or a day of shopping with a friend. She was not the same person, or rather, she was no longer pretending to be that person. Sarah was finally allowing herself to just "be". Standing a little straighter, she held her chin up in defiance.

"Not anymore."

"This is beautiful and all," he continued, gesturing around at the villa and grounds, as if he hadn't even heard her, "but once you've read some books, made nice with the locals and grown tired of teasing the nerdy maintenance guy, then you'll be bored again. Then what'll you do? You'll be begging me to-"

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa." Sarah jumped in, waving her hands to cut him off. "Nerdy maintenance…. You talked to him, didn't you? You -" Sarah clenched her jaw tight, along with her fists, as she tried to control the fear and rage coursing through her. Chuck's behavior made so much sense now. Bryce had gotten to him. "What did you say to him?" she hissed through gritted teeth.

The smarmy look on Bryce's face was back, realizing he'd hit on something. Sarah hated that she'd let her anger show through, giving Bryce leverage. The only thing she could think of was that just when things were starting to go well, just when she'd thought -against all odds- she might have found someone, Bryce had to show up and salt the earth around her, ensuring that any sense of normalcy that was starting to grow would wither and die. In an effort to hold back the tears that were burning at the back of her eyes, she clenched her jaw so tight she could hear it pop.

"Nothing," he said with a coy smile, shrugging it off. It was Carina's turn to hold Sarah back, stepping in front of Sarah to block her path.

"It's not worth it. It's not worth it," Carina urged under her breath, trying to help her friend stay in control.

"That poor kid. Don't worry, though. He knows the score now. I mean, could you imagine?" Bryce broke into a chuckle, bending forward slightly.

Carina's eyes grew wide, realizing that the man behind her had unknowingly signed his own death warrant. "Oh shit," she breathed out, letting go of Sarah. In a blur, Sarah shot past her friend and was on Bryce in an instant. He never saw the punch coming, but it likely wouldn't have made a difference. With a short hop in the air, throwing her right leg behind her for added power, Sarah delivered a crushing right cross to Bryce's chin, causing the man to crumple to the ground in a heap like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

As Sarah was poised to throw another devastating punch at the man as he lay on the ground, Carina once again stepped in, wrapping her arms around Sarah from behind to pull her away.

"Whoa! Ok. Ok. He's done. He's done," Carina spoke into her friend's ear. Maneuvering to get in front of Sarah, holding her by the shoulders, Carina got in Sarah's line of sight to grab her attention. Tears streaking down Sarah's cheeks, her bottom lip quivering slightly, Carina gave her an extra shake.

Sarah blinked several times before she could focus on Carina. Blowing out a ragged breath, Sarah held her friend's gaze. "Go find him," Carina stated, her eyes locked with Sarah's. Nodding, Sarah began to turn away, only to spin back around and slip a leg past Carina, landing a solid kick to the side of Bryce's head with a sickening thud.

"Alright. Enough," Carina said, stepping in front of Sarah again, with a slightly amused grin on her face. "I'll take care of this douchebag. You need to go do some damage control. Go. Find. Chuckles," Carina demanded, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head, daring Sarah to challenge her. Looking between Bryce and Carina, Sarah mutely nodded after a moment, backing away from the scene.

Turning, she started walking down the path that led out of her yard. "Damage control" Carina had called it. What had Bryce actually said? Did Bryce tell Chuck things about herself, things about her previous occupation? Had he told Chuck about their time together, their "partnership"? How much damage had Bryce done? Recalling the look on Chuck's face, the answer was… "enough". The fear of what Chuck now knew, what he might think of her, gripped at her heart. She needed to fix this somehow.

Breaking into a run, she retraced the path that Chuck had taken, hoping she would be able to find him. Coming to a junction in the hamlet's pathways, she looked around, almost frantically. Sarah spotted a woman hanging up some laundry on a clothesline and called out to her, asking if she'd seen "Riccioli". With a smile, the older woman pointed down one pathway that led to the edge of the hamlet. Expressing her thanks, Sarah took off again, following the woman's directions.

A few houses further, Sarah saw a young boy feeding some chickens in his yard. "Have you seen Chuck?" she asked, slowing briefly. Catching the boy by surprise, he jumped but then brandished a bright smile.

"Yes," he nodded, pointing to the house directly behind them. "He just left his house." Sarah was taken aback, spinning around to see the small unassuming house across the pathway from the young boy. She'd never paid much attention to the house on her walks, but it seemed to be the smallest of the homes in the hamlet. Somehow it made sense, the most humble man she knew would live in the most humble of homes.

"He said he was going for a walk," the boy shared, pointing in the direction Sarah had just come from. Pulling Sarah from her thoughts, she pivoted to see the direction he was pointing. Sighing, Sarah waved to the boy. "Thank you." Turning, she ran back in the direction she'd come from, taking an alternate path at the previous junction. She tried to put herself in his shoes, wondering where he would go if he was going for a walk to clear his head.

The path she was on was a familiar one, and as she crested the hill that led toward the vineyard, she stopped. Ordinarily, she wouldn't be struggling this much with running, but with the emotions she was dealing with, and running in heels, she was a bit winded. Bracing her hands on her knees, she bent forward to catch her breath as she looked across the scenery. It was just as she'd remembered it from their picnic… their lunch date. The tranquility of the vineyard and the rolling hills, the smells of the wildflowers and the warmth of the breeze brought her back to that moment.

It was then that a spark of inspiration hit her. Standing up straight, she proceeded down the pathway. When she reached the spot where they'd had their picnic, she slowed and cautiously peeked around the shrubs and tall grass into the clearing. Covering her mouth to quiet her gasp, she saw him. Leaning against that ancient tree, staring off into the distance as he absentmindedly rolled blades of tall grass between his fingers.

He looked as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, the way his brow furrowed in concentration. She could only assume that he was struggling with whatever it was Bryce had said to him. That fear began to squeeze at her insides again, but she at least needed to try to fix this. She believed that Chuck was her guide, her gateway to a normal life, and if she didn't have him, what hope did she have?

Bolstering her courage, she slowly made her way towards the tree. He was so lost in his own head that he hadn't noticed her approaching until the crunch of the grass under her feet next to him pulled him from his thoughts. He quickly turned his head towards the noise. Sarah watched his eyes grow wide as he stared at her foot. Slowly he traced his gaze up her body until his hazel eyes were boring into hers. She could see that he was lost and confused, and likely surprised to see her.

After a moment of staring into each other's eyes, Sarah finally broke the silence. "Hi," she offered, giving him a tight smile. Chuck opened and closed his mouth several times, seeming at a complete loss for words. Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, her nervousness growing, she continued, "Can I sit?"

A/N2: %#$*& # Yeah. I said the same thing too when Bryce showed up. He has the uncanny ability to show up at the worst times. It wasn't stated specifically, but in this AU, there is no history between Chuck and Bryce. I didn't feel the need to make that a factor in this story. In a previous chapter, I detailed a different outcome for Chuck's relationship with Jill, and by extension, removed the Chuck/Bryce connection. There's enough stuff to juggle and I wasn't interested in rehashing that dynamic. Even without the history between them, there is plenty to be jealous about when it comes to Bryce (at least on the surface).

So, Sarah's got some damage control to handle, but how much damage did Bryce do? We'll just have to find out in the next installment.

I applaud you all for making it this far, but if you could go just a bit further and leave a review to let me know your thoughts on the story, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Be well and stay safe.

JW