Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Then

She took a bite of the pie, looked at the piece of jewelry in front of her, and then back at the man across from her. The man that was so obviously hurt by something, a life he claimed that he led, that sounded too fantastical to believe. But that was the damn kicker, she did believe him. She believed everything he told her.

"So you're mother gave you that before you left," Sarah said.

Chuck nodded. "That charm," he said, point at the last one on the bracelet. "It has a tiny compartment in it, that you put in this USB cord." He held up the cord. "You plug it into the phone and it can download the program."

"How the hell can a program that big, fit on something that small?" Sarah asked.

"I mean, I could try and explain it, but it's almost beyond my comprehension," Chuck admitted.

"It works?" Chuck nodded. "Okay, if I'm gonna believe your story about the island and that program, that memory….whatever it is, makes more sense than anything else you told me." She watched him chuckle at that. He scrunched up his nose as he laughed, and she found she liked that…a lot.

"You shouldn't do this," Chuck told her.

"So, let me get this straight, you're coming to me, to tell me to never resign from the CIA?" Sarah asked. Chuck nodded. "Because I know so much, I will be taken to the island."

"You're the perfect agent," Chuck said with a shrug. "Very little contact with your family. Few friends, and if you don't contact them, they really wouldn't think anything about it."

Sarah sighed. "I'm practically a ghost, and they are going to make me disappear." Chuck nodded. "But if I don't go…If I leave you there, they'll kill you." Chuck nodded again. "Then how can I not save you?"

"You don't owe me," Chuck told her. "Listen, this is my one chance for my family to get something right."

"Your family did so much right," Sarah said, shocked. He had just told her his family's history, and how they had ended up on the island. "Your mother resigned from the CIA to join your father after he was kidnapped and taken there."

"And in doing so, we help create the island and control it," Chuck reminded her. "Our family is cursed. We have brought this on ourselves and others. Destroy the program and you'll be doing the world a favor."

She studied him. Most men, in his situation would be begging her to come and save him. Not him. He was trying to save her, someone he didn't know. Someone he had only read about. She had lived a dark, and lonely life, and here, in this moment, she saw a spark of light…a light she refused to let be extinguished.

"Here," he said, pressing a piece of paper into her hands. She opened it and saw names on it. "Those names, they're agents from the CIA who are stuck on that island. They are agents, who resigned, and were brought in. You have access, look them up. I'll bet you they either didn't resign 'officially', or they are thought to be off the grid, or dead."

He stood up. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I need to leave," Chuck told her. "I…I admire you. Ever since I saw that you were going to be part of this, I studied you, and…and I find you absolutely fascinating. But even then, I didn't think it would take much to convince you not to come to the island."

"And why's that…Chuck?" She clicked the "k" on his name, and he thought his knees would give out.

"Because, and forgive me, it's the only people I know," he said. He took a deep breath, and she noticed his hands were sweating. "I've only known agents or people who work for FE. They think of one person, themselves. You aren't like them."

"Listen, let me help you, I can get you out of there," Sarah began.

"Sarah, as great as you are…as amazing as you are…you can't take down all of FE," Chuck told her. "It was a pleasure to meet you." He nodded, turned, and headed for the door. He stopped at the cafe door, turned, and walked back to her.

"Change your mind?" she asked.

"No," Chuck told her. "But, I realize I'm probably gonna die, so somewhere, I found some courage." Her eyes went wide. "I wish I could have known you under different circumstances. I think…I think…I think we could have been amazing." He stood there, looking as shocked as she felt. "Good-bye, Sarah Walker." And with that, he was gone.

}o{

She stood at her hotel window, watching the rain come down, his words, playing in her mind. When she had recovered, she hurried after him, but she couldn't find him. The rain came down in a slow, but steady fall. She had already looked up five of the names that Chuck had given her. All had resigned, and all were no where to be found on any database anywhere as being active citizens.

She didn't know what she was doing…yes she did. She was standing there, looking for him. She had no idea why she thought she could see him. He didn't know her hotel room, he-. She spun, hearing the knock on the door. Normally, she would grab her gun, but she knew…she didn't know how, but she knew, it was him.

She rushed over, and opened the door. He stood there, looking like a drowned rat.

"Hi," he said, lifting his hand. "I need you to know something. I never do this, but…but I had to ask you one question before I left." She licked her lips. He could ask his question, and then she was going to grab him and keep him from running off…at least she would have if what he asked her hadn't knocked her on her ass. "May I kiss you?"

"God yes," she blurted out, and before she could move, he was kissing her. He was kissing her like his life depended on it, and she kissed him back like hers depended on it. She pulled him inside, and shut the door.