A/N: Me and my cliffhangers. Why do you put up with me? :) Well, let's see what we can do about that cliffhanging situation. See you at the next horizontal line.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

Chapter 8

"Can I sit?"

Chuck looked up in surprise and disbelief, his mouth slightly agape. Not saying a word, he glanced at the spot she'd pointed to and nodded before looking away.

Sarah took that small gesture as a good sign. At least he was willing to listen, she hoped. Sitting down near him, giving herself a couple of feet between them, she settled in, leaning back against the tree. Now that she was here, what did she say? Blowing out a small breath to steel her nerves, she dove in.

"Before I say anything, can I ask what he told you?" Maybe that wasn't the best place to begin this conversation, but she needed to know what she needed to fix or what misunderstandings she needed to address.

Chuck's sigh only served to reinforce how crappy of a beginning this was. "Look, Sarah, it doesn't really matter. Your private life is none of my busines-"

"Chuck. Please?" she pleaded, glancing over her shoulder to look at him through her peripheral vision. He was silent for a long moment, causing Sarah to grow concerned that he may not answer her at all.

"I got a little… sidetracked this morning and didn't make my normal rounds around the property. So, I stopped by to check in on the place… to check in on you," he admitted, sounding a bit embarrassed at confessing that tidbit. It brought a small smile to her lips but it faded as he continued. "That's when I bumped into him. I asked if I could help him, if he knew you. He… he said that you two were … married," he choked out, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing.

"He even showed me the ring on his finger. Then he told me he'd come to take you back home." Chuck let out a one note chuckle, shaking his head in sadness and regret. "He was pretty smug about it, as I suppose anyone married to you would be. He looked me over with this… this smarmy grin and said my 'services'," Chuck stated, adding the air quotes, "were no longer required. Then he laughed at me, like I was some kind of joke." Sarah could hear the hurt in his voice, especially the way his voice broke on the last few words. If being here with Chuck wasn't so important to her, Sarah would have run back to her villa to kick the shit out of Bryce some more.

"I'm sorry that I allowed myself to get lost in my head," he continued, "to see things that weren't really there. You were just being a nice person, being friendly, and I misread it as... Well, clearly Carina was wrong, though I suppose she was just trying to fluster me. She's really good at that," he lamented, though it seemed to be more to himself.

Sarah had wanted to hear what Chuck had to say, to understand what he'd heard and where his head was at, but she'd heard enough. Sarah flexed her fingers, which were beginning to cramp from the tight fists she'd made at hearing all Bryce had done and what Chuck took away from it. She blew out a shaky breath to try and compose herself so as not to let her anger show.

"Chuck, I need to say some things, and I know you're going to have questions, but I really need you to just listen and let me get it all out. Can you do that please?" she asked, turning more to look at him fully. Chuck gave her a hesitant glance before returning his gaze to the blade of grass he was fidgeting with in his fingers. Nodding, he let out a soft "OK."

"Thank you. There's far too much for me to explain it all, but I'm going to try to give you the broad strokes. Before you argue again that it's 'none of your business', I… I want it to be your business. Please understand that this isn't easy for me to talk about, for a number of reasons, but it's important for me to set the record straight.

"In my previous job - the one I left- I worked for … the government. Sometimes I worked alone, but occasionally I was assigned a partner. Carina was one of them, … and so was Bryce, the man you met. We were required to adopt aliases, to pretend to be other people. When Bryce and I were together -when we were partners- one of our aliases was as a married couple. We are not, nor have we ever been, married in real life."

Sarah turned her head to look back at Chuck, to see if he was still following. He was nodding his head, but his brow was furrowed, as if deep in thought.

"Chuck… my job, my life, was a lonely one. I was always on the move, never settling down, never able to form normal friendships or romantic relationships. As partners, Bryce and I spent a lot of time together. Eventually, we became … more than partners," she confessed, pausing to let that sink in. She didn't dare look back at him, but she could hear him sigh slightly and that hurt nearly as much. Sarah knew she had nothing to apologize for, or be ashamed about, aside from her misplaced trust in her former partner. Still, knowing that Chuck had feelings for her, and after the things Bryce had said to him, she knew this revelation would sting. She felt it too.

Taking a steadying breath, she continued, "Having a relationship with him, it was just something I… I settled for because it was easy, convenient. Sure, I wanted there to be more. I don't think it was necessarily because it was him, but that I just needed something more … meaningful. So, I tried to force it on that relationship, but Bryce didn't see things the same way. He wanted to be free to wander; and wander he did. So, we had a falling out; personally and then professionally."

Chuck remained silent, and a check over her shoulder showed that he was still staring off into space, looking lost. Needing to finish what she'd started, Sarah continued her confession. "I had grown disillusioned with many aspects of my job, the most recent falling out only being a small part of it. I realized that I didn't want that life any longer, so I quit. I needed to make some changes in my life, to get as far away from my previous existence as I could. That's what brought me here, to start anew, to 'find myself', as it were." Sarah realized that throughout her confession she'd been nervously ringing her hands. Sighing, she wiped her sweaty palms on her pants' legs, trying to give herself a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Oh my God," he breathed out, causing her to glance over her shoulder at him. Running his hands through his hair, Chuck shook his head in disbelief. "I… I can't believe I didn't see it before." Confused, Sarah turned slightly to face him.

"The travel, the languages, the way you carry yourself, God, it all makes sense," he huffed out in exasperation. "You're a … spy, or… you were a spy," he corrected. "I feel like such an idiot." Chuck groaned as he placed his face in his hands.

"God. You've obviously seen and done so much in your life, and then you come here and… I must seem so… pedestrian to you."

"No, don't say that-"

"And you came all this way to escape that world, but they found you here anyway? Even though you were trying to keep a low profile. Did our trip to town blow your… your cover? Did I put you in danger?" he asked, turning his head to look back over his shoulder, concern etched into his countenance. "I did, didn't I?"

"What?" she asked, taken aback by his question. She'd expected him to find her tale to be unbelievable, insane even, but instead he hadn't seemed to question it at all. In fact, he was more concerned that he had somehow allowed her to be found by people he thought she was hiding from. God, the things this man made her feel.

"No. No, Chuck. This had absolutely nothing to do with you. I invited Carina here. She's one of my few friends and since she was in Rome on… 'business', I invited her to visit me here. I don't know the whole story, but it would seem that Bryce spotted her in Rome and followed her here somehow. That's how he found me. Though, to be honest, I haven't been trying very hard not to be found, so he likely could have found me in any number of other ways if he wanted." Chuck nodded his understanding, relaxing slightly, but he still looked concerned.

"So, if you quit, and you and he aren't … well… together, why is he here?" As soon as the question was past his lips he groaned in frustration. "Don't-don't answer that. For one, I can guess why he's here, and second, it's none of my - it's not my place to question," he corrected, likely recalling her previous words.

"Why is it you think he's here?" she found herself asking before she could think to stop herself. To her surprise, he let out a soft chuckle, though there didn't seem to be much humor in it.

"For the same reason I would be here: to win you back. If he had any sense in his head, that is," Chuck replied with an edge to his voice. She could tell he didn't like Bryce, and she couldn't blame him one bit. However, this disdain, this anger, was an emotion she hadn't seen in Chuck yet and somehow it made her fall for him just a little bit more. Carina had commented that Chuck was a little too good to be true, and Sarah had to admit his continually cheerful demeanor was a bit suspect. Now, however, he was showing that he was, in fact, human, exhibiting the same irrational emotions that she did. It was refreshing.

"Well, I suspect he's here more for the professional aspect of our partnership, though I'm sure he'd hope for more. In either case, the answer is 'No'." Chuck seemed to perk up at her declaration and she took some joy in seeing that. "I will never partner with him in any way, shape or form. I'm done with that life, with him."

"I see," was all he could say, though the tone of his response carried with it a sense of hope. "So, um… wh-where is he now? Don't you have-"

"When I left to come find you, he was unconscious on my patio."

"What?! Is he…. Wh-what happened?" he questioned, clearly taken aback. This was the moment of truth. To answer him honestly would force her to voice her true feelings for him, leaving her more vulnerable than she could ever remember. Taking a cleansing breath, she braced herself and spoke.

"Well, you see, there's this … this guy I have … feelings for, and when I found out that Bryce's actions threatened to ruin my chances with this guy, I got very angry. So, naturally, I knocked his ass out."

Chuck spun to face her fully, his eyes wide as saucers. When she met his gaze, she searched his eyes, desperate to find some clue as to whether she'd said the right thing or made a horrible mistake. Unfortunately, his eyes were swirled with so many emotions that she couldn't make heads or tails of them. She saw his mouth moving, as if he were starting a hundred different questions, and failing at all of them.

"W-wow. That is so badass," he breathed out reverently, his eyes still impossibly wide. That wasn't exactly the response she was expecting but knowing Chuck, it seemed oddly appropriate. Perhaps just as in character, his next reaction was to reach for her hands, taking them gently in his and examining them carefully. "Are you OK? Did you hurt yourself?" he asked, brushing his thumb gently over the reddened knuckles of her right hand.

The incredibly intimate and caring gesture stole her breath, delaying her response enough that he lifted his gaze to meet hers. His honey brown eyes, constricted in the afternoon sunlight, reflected their green and gold so brightly they seemed to bore into her, reaching places within her previously untouched, melting her from the inside. A multitude of feelings and emotions coursed through her at that moment, and all of them shouting at her to do one thing.

With no preamble or worry for the consequences, she succumbed to the moment and lunged forward, capturing his lips with hers. The initial contact was so soft and warm, she cursed herself for waiting this long to kiss him. The surprised yelp that escaped Chuck's throat made her smile uncontrollably, but she didn't break the kiss. Instead, she gripped his hands tightly, pulling them close to her body, hoping he wouldn't pull away and spoil this moment.

She felt him inhale sharply through his nose as he pulled away, bringing her fears to reality. She immediately began to mourn the loss as their lips parted, but much to her surprise, Chuck only tilted his head slightly to give himself better purchase as he dove back in, deepening the kiss. Now it was her turn to yelp, which quickly became a soft moan of contentment as the kiss continued. They both became lost in the moment, only parting when the need for air was too great.

Resting their foreheads together, they tried to catch their breath. Sarah was torn between wanting to say more, not losing the momentum they seemed to have created, but at the same time afraid that saying anything at all would ruin it. Thankfully, Chuck made the decision for her.

"My gut reaction is to really over analyze this, but if I promise never to say 'it's none of my business', can we do that again?" he asked breathlessly. Sarah couldn't help but burst into laughter, all her worries evaporating into thin air. Thankfully he began to chuckle along with her, their foreheads never separating.

Clearing his throat, he squeezed her hands again, as if preparing himself. "So, the guy you mentioned before, the one you have feelings for…"

"Yes. It's you, Chuck," she answered before he could even finish the sentence.

"Oh, thank God," he breathed out, his body partially going limp. "I know I've been playing it cool," he said in his patented self-deprecating tone, "but I'm pretty into you too." The giggle that bubbled up out of her felt so liberating, especially on the heels of his confession. True, she knew he had feelings for her, but for him to admit it made it more real somehow. Releasing his hands, she cupped his face in both hands and pulled him into another kiss.

This time, the kiss was almost agonizingly soft and slow, so intimate she could feel her whole body buzz with anticipation. In that moment, she'd never been more attracted, so completely, to another person in her life. If she continued this, she knew how she wanted this to progress, and as wonderfully symbolic as it might be, having their first time at their picnic spot, under this tree, the chance of villagers, children, walking by was too great to risk.

As if he could read her mind, Chuck began to pull away from her, his lips the last to separate from her, in an almost comical display of reluctance. "As … as much as I hate myself for saying this, we… I have to stop," he stated, panting heavily. "I'm not sure … whether… my brain… or… or my heart is going to explode first, but… I need to regroup a second," he finished, pushing himself further away from her, so that he was well out of reach.

Panting herself, Sarah was a little concerned as he distanced himself, uncertain if the gravity of all she'd said finally came crashing down on him or if she was moving too fast. Either way, she was going to let Chuck set the pace. She'd made the mistake of pushing a relationship on someone before, she couldn't afford to do that with Chuck. He meant too much to her.

Chuck looked a little dazed, staring at the ground with his hands in his hair. "Did I… was that too much?" she asked cautiously, her breathing finally coming under control.

"No!" he rushed out, almost startled by the question. "I mean… it was a lot, don't get me wrong." he amended, holding his hands up. "I'm still… processing, you know?"

Yes, she knew. All of these revelations hit him at once, who she really was, the kinds of things she'd done, it was a lot for her to come to terms with sometimes, and she'd lived through it. She couldn't imagine what he was thinking. If he was smart, he'd probably run.

"I understand," she replied, nodding. "Take whatever time you need. If you have any questions… or you just want to talk about it…" Chuck looked at her quizzically but nodded his understanding.

"Yeah. Yeah, OK. Thanks. Um… I know I'm naive to the ways of the world, but… that kiss was pretty incredible, right? I don't have a lot to compare it to but… please tell me I'm not alone in that." Sarah stared in disbelief for a moment before the laughter erupted out of her. Bent over, her body shaking, she struggled to breathe in fits and gasps. She felt terrible for laughing at this moment, especially when what he said seemed so heartfelt, but there was just something so absurd about the question given all that had been exchanged between them.

As she contemplated it, she began to sober up when it struck her that, of all the things he could have asked her about her life, her past, he was focused on the kiss; their kiss. It was as if he was more concerned about the connection they shared than any connection she had with her past life. Perhaps she was reading too much into it, but she did know, from the embarrassed expression on his face, she owed Chuck an apology.

"I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what came over me. It's just… Chuck, I don't think you're naive; not in the slightest. As for the kiss, it was… honestly?" she asked, twisting her lips to the side as she watched Chuck nod intently, his eyes wide with anticipation. "I'd venture so far as to say it was probably the best kiss I've ever had."

Chuck's eyes grew even wider as his jaw fell slack, as if his brain had rebooted itself. After a long moment, he blinked, closing his mouth with a snap, shaking himself from his stupor. Sensing his loss for words, Sarah took pity on him and spoke first.

"There's a lot we need to talk about, and I imagine you have a lot of questions."

"Just one, for now anyway," he interrupted, holding her gaze.

"Alright, what is it?" she inquired, giving him her undivided attention.

"Does… does that invitation to dinner still stand?"

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As they neared Sarah's villa, their joined hands swinging between them, Sarah pulled them to an abrupt stop before they reached the gate to her yard. Stepping in front of Chuck, Sarah stared up into his eyes in the hopes of grabbing his attention.

"OK, Chuck. Bryce is probably still around here somewhere. I'll get rid of him as fast as I can and then we'll see about dinner." Chuck's smile dimmed, his attention turned to the ground for just a moment before returning to meet her gaze. She could see those thoughts swirling behind his eyes again.

"Do-do you want me to give you two some time to talk?" he asked, tentatively. Sarah could tell what he was thinking, and she wanted to kiss him and smack him in equal parts. "I can stay out here or go back to my place and-" Opting for the former, Sarah disrupted his rambling with a firm kiss. It seemed to have the desired effect as both his mind and mouth seemed to falter for a long moment.

"I don't want to take you in there with me, Chuck. The only reason being that I don't want to subject you to any more of his bullshit than you already have. But, since I have a feeling that if you aren't with me your brain is going to jump to the worst possible conclusion,…you're coming with me. So, come on," she commanded, gripping his hand and dragging him through the gate and across the yard.

"Sar… Sarah. It's fine. Really… Wow, you're really strong. Can we slow down a little maybe-"

"Chuck, I want this over with as soon as possible. I have plans, and none of them include Bryce. So, the sooner I get his ass out of here, the better I'll feel."

"OK. I get that, I do. But -and hear me out here- what if," he said, gently taking hold of her arm with his free hand, which had the desired effect of making her stop. She turned to face him, but her expression clearly showed her patience was wearing thin. "What if," he began again in a slow, smooth tone, "you take a second, find your… your calm center, so you can face this with a clear head and perhaps… just perhaps, not destroy parts of the house that I'll have to fix later." The corner of Chuck's mouth turned up slightly in a tentative smile, clearly hoping that some humor might lighten the mood.

Clenching her jaw, Sarah tried with all her might not to let the smile sneak in. She wanted to be angry, to feed off of that anger toward Bryce and this situation. One look from Chuck, that little shy smile, and dammit, all her anger melted away. How he had that power over her she didn't know, and it was both unnerving and a little thrilling.

Twisting her lips to the side, she finally blew out a huff through her nose as she closed her eyes and shook her head. Succumbing to a small chuckle, she eased the grip on his hand and opened her eyes to meet his gaze. "You make it really difficult for me to be angry, you know that?"

"I'll remind you of that when you get really pissed at me for doing something stupid," he replied quickly, a pleased look on his face. Sarah let her laughter escape, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Taking an exaggerated breath in through her nose and gesturing along with her hand as she blew it out through her mouth, she gave Chuck an amused grin. "There. Happy now?" she asked with faux annoyance.

"Yep." He grinned and squeezed her hand, signaling Sarah to turn and head into the house. When Chuck held firm, she stumbled a bit but turned back to look at him with confusion and concern.

"Before we go in… I just wanted to say, I'm going to try really, really hard not to be that guy. You know, the one that feels he needs to defend your honor or protect you or something? I'll be honest, that's going to be my gut reaction, but I'm gonna try and stomp that down. I mean, you're clearly better able to take care of yourself than I am, so I'd only make things worse. I just… I wanted you to know that," he finished, looking a bit sheepish.

At every turn this guy knocked her on her ass. She'd had more than her share of men trying to force their macho bullshit on her, criminals and peers alike. Sometimes she played along if she could use it to her advantage, but mostly it just pissed her off. Thankfully, as her career progressed, and she gained a reputation, the lewd and demeaning comments from her peers stopped. Now here was Chuck, a man who genuinely wanted to protect her, with no other pretense, and he had the presence of mind to call himself out on what he believed were demeaning thoughts. As if she could fall any harder for this man.

"Chuck, I'm sure you're perfectly capable of taking care of me in so many other ways." She heard it once it left her mouth, but was too late to stop it. Blushing slightly, she cleared her throat, but she decided she wasn't going to walk the comment back. She did believe that to be true and she was looking forward to being proven right. True to form, Chuck didn't remark on her slip, but she suspected it was likely due to his brain rebooting, yet again. This relationship, whatever it was, was going to be a lot of fun.

Taking the opportunity during Chuck's silence, Sarah pulled him into the house through the French doors of her patio.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Walking into the house, Sarah saw that the living area was empty, although they could hear murmuring coming from the kitchen. Sarah continued on, with Chuck following close behind, until they reached the entrance to the kitchen. Carina was leaning against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest, looking rather smug. Across from her was Bryce, a wadded up dish towel pressed to the left side of his face, likely filled with ice. When the two spotted Sarah, they both straightened. Bryce tossed the towel on the counter and took a step closer to Sarah until he spotted Chuck over her shoulder. Bryce took a moment to look between Chuck and Sarah before visibly slipping into his suave, confident persona.

"Look Sarah. I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. In hindsight, I can see that a surprise visit wasn't the best idea." The snort from both Carina and Sarah gave him a moment's pause to collect himself before continuing. "The point is, I'm sorry for that. Now, can we please talk business? Sorry, buddy. You're gonna have to wait outside while the grownups talk," Bryce snarked, giving Chuck a forced smile.

"I'm not your-"

"He's not your 'buddy', and he's most certainly not going anywhere," Sarah declared, her nostrils flaring with anger. "Besides, he's more of an adult than any of us." Carina perked up to give a retort, but the expression on Sarah's face made her think twice. "And if you're talking about classified mission information, then you can't say it in front of me either. I'm retired, Bryce. I no longer have clearance to hear anything. You should know better."

Carina and Bryce were both taken aback by Sarah's admission, especially Carina, who was making a slashing gesture with her hand across her throat, mouthing for her to stop. Sarah understood their shock. Talking about their jobs, admitting that they were clandestine agents, in front of civilians was a big "no-no". Sarah had taken a gamble by telling Chuck, but she felt she had no other choice. Continuing to lie to him, or at least masking the truth, was no way to start a relationship. A grin formed on Sarah's face as she played over the kisses she'd shared with Chuck just a short while ago. Nothing had been stated about a relationship between them, not in so many words. She liked to think, by the way he returned her kiss, that it was a form of acknowledgement, an agreement that they were starting… something. She shook that thought from her mind, needing to focus on the matter at hand.

Turning to face Carina, she continued, "And Chuck knows. I told him everything."

'Everything?!" Carina squawked, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"Yes," Sarah replied curtly with a nod.

"Everything?" Bryce challenged, with his usual smarmy, confident tone. Sarah knew what he was getting at. Bryce doubted that she would tell Chuck about the myriad of distasteful things she'd had to do in the name of the greater good. In addition, the smug grin on Bryce's face made it especially clear that he was referring to their past together as well. As much as she hated it, he was right on both accounts. Sure, she'd confessed to being with Bryce in the past, but she danced around the details of it. Who wants to hear those details about a past relationship anyway? All that mattered was that it was in the past, and would stay there.

"I've told him some of it, yes," she retorted, using every bit of her training to not let her hesitancy show.

"So… all the seduction missions, conning marks, … all the wetwork? You've told him about all of that?" Bryce looked supremely pleased with himself, and it was all she could do not to try to knock his head off again. This was the sort of thing she wanted to avoid. Bryce, once again, tried to use her past to push a wedge between her and Chuck. She'd deliberately not mentioned those things she'd had to do for fear of how Chuck would react. So far she'd painted a rather tame picture of her former job, but now, thanks to Bryce, Chuck could imagine all the harsh brush strokes, the splatters of crimson on the canvas of her life.

"I don't need to know who she was. I know who she is now," Chuck declared in a firm, confident tone, shattering the silence. Sarah's eyes grew wide in shock at the confession and turned to look back at him. Chuck looked every bit as confident as his tone suggested. He stood tall, almost defiant, with his broad shoulders and set jaw. Add to it the words he'd spoken, as badly as she'd wanted him before, he was nearly pushing her over the edge.

"So you're saying you don't care that she's had to kill people for her job, or that she's had to seduce men to get information? Maybe she even sees you as a mark-" Sarah's whole body clenched at the accusation that she was playing Chuck for a mark. It felt like Bryce was driving a dagger into her chest. Bryce Larkin was going out of his way to destroy any chance at happiness she could ever have. What was worse, a lot of what he said was true, enough that it wouldn't be hard to get Chuck to believe she was just leading him on. As her vision became consumed with red, she balled up her fists and made a lunge for Bryce, preparing to remove that smarmy grin from his face permanently.

Sarah didn't get more than two steps when she felt a firm, but gentle hand on her left wrist and an arm snake around her stomach from behind, pulling her backward. Her ingrained fight response was screaming at her to react, but when she felt her back pressed into his chest and the smell of Chuck's cologne, she stopped herself, almost going limp for fear she might inadvertently lash out at him.

His soothing voice in her ear, whispering "It's not worth it," over and over again, took all the fight out of her. When Sarah relaxed, Chuck released his hold on her, placing his hands on her shoulders as if to steady her. She and Chuck were too preoccupied to notice the shocked expressions on both Carina and Bryce's faces. With one touch, this "Chuck Bartowski" seemed to be able to thaw the Ice Queen, likely saving Bryce's life in the process.

Once Chuck was satisfied that Sarah was calmed, he stepped past her, placing himself between her and Bryce. Sarah could only watch on in stunned silence, unsure of what had just happened. The ache in her chest was still there, but she realized now that if she were to lash out at Bryce, especially in front of Chuck, she would only be proving Bryce's point as to the kind of monster she was. Sarah felt so helpless and frustrated she wanted to scream.

Taking another step closer to Bryce, Chuck stood tall, his jaw set and brow furrowed. If he was intimidated by Bryce, he didn't let it show. The shorter man's confidence seemed to be waning in the wake of seeing the display between Chuck and Sarah. Now with Chuck looming over him, Bryce seemed to be on the defensive.

"You asked if I cared about all of those things," Chuck began, staring directly at Bryce. "Yeah, I do care. I care about all of those things her country has asked her to do, what toll it's taken on her. And I know it's taken a toll, otherwise, she wouldn't have wanted to get out, to find some sort of peace. Now, is she playing me? I don't know," he confessed, throwing his arms in the air.

Sarah's heart was shattering. Did Chuck believe that her feelings for him were some lie, some fabrication, merely to get something from him? What did he have that she would want, aside from just himself. He didn't appear to have much material wealth and there was certainly no secret information he possessed that she would want. As she tried to voice her defense, Chuck continued undeterred.

"I'm sure Sarah was exceedingly good at her job, so if she were trying to play me, I'd never realize it. That's the whole point, right? Well, regardless, I don't care! Sarah Walker is a remarkable woman and if she wants to spend time with me, whatever her reasons, I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to enjoy it while I can." The entire room, including Carina, remained shocked into silence at Chuck's rebuttal. It took a moment, but Bryce began to regain his wits, spluttering out a response.

"Come on, Sarah," Bryce urged, his tone less cocky and more pleading as he looked past Chuck. "You're at the top of your game. Spying, the spy life, is what you're meant to do. You can't deny it. You can't be caged in some office or… or shackled in some suburban nightmare, wasting away at barbecues and PTA meetings. That's not who you are. You… we… as a team, we're the best there is. We're perfect together"

"God. Do you even hear yourself?" Chuck asked incredulously. Sarah's focus was bouncing between Chuck and Bryce, as if following the volleys at Wimbledon. "Sarah is far more than the sum of her past. She's an amazingly brilliant, funny, kind and caring person. She could do anything she puts her mind to, so don't you dare try to tell her that the… the 'spy life' is all she can do. You're such a selfish bastard," Chuck growled, practically spitting the words like venom.

Bryce flinched, as if the words had actually stung him. Sarah gasped in surprise at the anger in Chuck's words, yet at the same time felt so incredibly moved by what he had said about her. His belief, his faith in her seemed so steadfast that she hardly knew what to think. Sarah took a step to the side, trying to get a better look at Chuck from the profile, allowing her to see his face, as well as Bryce's reaction as Chuck continued to dress down her former partner.

"I know your kind: a manipulative, narcissistic bully. You try to tear her down, to make her believe she can't do better in her life, and the only reason is that you can't cut it without her. She made you look good, and now, without her there, people are going to see you for who you are." The look on Bryce's face as Chuck continued to berate him, stepping closer as he towered over the spy, was akin to a child being reprimanded by a teacher. Bryce seemed to shrink into himself and it was one of the most gratifying things Sarah had seen in her life.

"How am I doing so far, Bryce?" Chuck questioned, his words dripping with disdain. Having been dumbstruck by Chuck's display, Sarah came to realize she needed to jump in and stop things from escalating. She suspected that despite the size difference, Bryce's skills would be no match for Chuck, and she wasn't prepared to find out. Stepping up beside Chuck, placing one hand on the small of his back and taking his elbow in her other, she gently pulled him away, much like he'd done for her. He wasn't in a fighting stance, but he had an uncharacteristically menacing look about him nonetheless.

"Thank you, Chuck. It's ok," she reassured him, giving him a genuinely warm smile as he looked down at her. His expression softened greatly, even going so far as to look embarrassed. Giving her a tight smile in return, he nodded, averting his gaze to the floor as he stepped back.

"Bryce, I don't want to fight with you anymo-"

"He's right," Bryce said, just above a whisper. When everyone stopped to look at him, his smarmy expression was gone, replaced by one of resignation and shame. "He's right. About all of it."

"What?" Sarah asked, uncertain that she could believe what she was hearing from her former partner.

"When we were partnered together, we were unstoppable. The commendations were piling up and it made me look good. So good that I thought I could go off on my own. The whole 'James Bond' lifestyle got to my head. Some of the missions were fine, but with more success, the missions got more challenging. Things started to slip - I started to slip. They got messy more than a few times. When I was in the thick of it, I couldn't help but think of you, wondering what you would do in that situation. You were always the planner, the levelheaded one. You got us out of more jams than I can count. But you weren't there anymore to bail us out … me out," he conceded, giving a half-hearted smile.

"You're a good spy, Bryce. You just need some time to adjust," Sarah interjected, even though she wasn't entirely certain why. This was the same man that had, moments ago, tried to ruin her life. He had the beginnings of a bruise on his jaw, evidence of how pissed she'd been with him. Seeing him devolve into the man that was standing before her now, looking more vulnerable than she'd ever seen him, she couldn't help but feel a small amount of pity.

Bryce shook his head, waving off Sarah's attempt at reassuring him. "After my last mission failed, I was given mandatory time off. That was a polite way of saying I was suspended. I didn't know what to do with myself, where to go. Rome, it held some… sentimental value for me," he confessed, chancing a glance at Sarah before continuing,"so I went there to clear my head. Through the grapevine, I'd heard about the bust Carina and her team made. That's when I hatched this plan." Sarah tilted her head to the side, giving him an incredulous look. "OK, I admit. It wasn't a great plan."

"So you put a tracker on my car and followed me. For what? On the off chance that I might lead you to Sarah?" Carina interjected after being surprisingly silent throughout the ordeal.

"No. I was just hoping to find the right place ,the right moment to talk with you. Maybe get your help to find a way back into Sarah's good graces. When I tailed you here, I saw you and Sarah leaving in her car. Still driving the Porsche, I see. You always loved that car," he remarked with a half smile, trying to offer some levity. From the expression on Sarah's face, he realized it had fallen flat, so he continued.

"I know how much you hate surprises, but I took a chance. We all know how that worked out," he added glumly, rubbing his jaw. Carina snorted at that, not the least bit apologetic about it either. Sarah couldn't help but grin a bit, remembering fondly how cathartic it felt to punch him.

"I'm sorry you've come all this way for nothing. I'm done, Bryce. There's nothing you or Graham or anyone else can say that will change my mind. In fact," she added, glancing at Chuck affectionately, "I'm more certain than ever."

"I can see that now. You can't blame a guy for trying though, right?" Seeing the unamused glares of the others around the room, Bryce huffed in resignation. "Look, I'm really sorry. Not just for showing up here and being a … prick, but … for everything. For the record though….," he trailed off, wordlessly gesturing between Sarah and Chuck with a skeptical look.

"Definitely not a mark," she stated emphatically. "In fact, if anything, he seduced me."

'Wait. What?!" Chuck asked, his voice going up several octaves. Carina chuckled, patting him on the shoulder as she walked past.

"Just take the win, Chuckles. Take the win."

A/N2: I hope that Bryce has been put into his place and leaves them alone from now on. Only time will tell. What does all of this mean for Chuck and Sarah? Tune in next time to find out.

As always, thanks so much for your kind words of support and constructive comments. I enjoy hearing from you, so please leave a review or PM if the spirit moves you.

Be well and stay safe,

JW