Posted May 21, 2022

A/N: At the end of 1x10, Sarah was packing to go, but then both Bryce and Chuck called. There was a lot of time in between Thanksgiving and the likely "Holiday Party" date.

"Chuck vs the Nemesis" (1x10) Recap

Here's a few things you might need to know.

From a different room, Sarah and Casey watched Bryce in an examination chair as he woke up. He whispered something to a nurse, who repeated that he asked for Chuck.

At Buy More, Bike Mike yelled around, looking for Chuck. Chuck was squatting down in an aisle, leaving another message for Sarah. He hadn't talked to her since their kiss at the docks. Morgan found Chuck and said how Chuck had been a weird, stalker-mode, crazy guy since he was trying to reach Sarah. Chuck was in the middle of leaving another message, so everything Morgan said was left on voicemail for Sarah.

Chuck told Morgan that he had thought it was over between him and Sarah, but they had a great moment (the kiss) and in the moment afterwards, he realized what a huge mistake he had made when he broke up with her. Morgan didn't hear the end because he and Anna were making out in the middle of the store.

They stopped so Morgan could ask whether it would be ok if Anna came to Thanksgiving. Chuck said it would be. Anna asked if Ellie would be there. Morgan said she would be there because she made all of his favorite things. Anna said there wasn't a problem…yet.

After Anna walked away, Chuck asked what that was about. Morgan asked why Anna thought he was in love with Ellie. Chuck said it was because he was. Morgan asked why everyone thought that. Chuck said it was because Morgan told everyone. Their conversation ended when Big Mike found Chuck.

Big Mike gave an angry lecture to Chuck, the Nerd Herders, and Morgan because Big Friday was coming. He said he was reassigning the Nerd Herders to crowd control. They had to have training on Thanksgiving.

On the bright side, Sarah showed up at the store to talk to Chuck. Chuck tried to say something about the kiss, but Sarah cut him off and told him Bryce was alive.

Chuck went to the observation room that Sarah and Casey had been in. They said Bryce would only talk only to Chuck. Chuck was scared, but he went into the room to talk to his old college roommate. Bryce didn't believe Chuck was who he said he was, so make him prove who he was in Klingon. Bryce said his Klingon was rusty, but believed him. Chuck told him that he saw the Intersect and the computer was destroyed.

Bryce broke free of the straps holding him to the table, he took an injector, and held it to Chuck's neck to get out. Casey and Sarah burst into the room with guns drawn, but using Chuck as a hostage and shield. Bryce got to the elevator and demanded the elevator code.

Alone in the elevator, Bryce let Chuck go and acted like he was never going to hurt Chuck, surprised Chuck didn't realize that. The elevator slowed before expected, so Bryce held Chuck as a hostage again before the doors opened. At the docks, when Casey and a team were breaking free, a man had shot Yari Demitros. That man was in the CIA facility, standing outside the elevator. He knew Bryce. Chuck flashed on him as a member of "Fulcrum." Bryce told the man that he wanted out. The man told Bryce that they should "be friends again."

The elevator door shut, and Bryce released Chuck again. He asked what "Fulcrum" was, and revealed he had the Intersect in his head. Bryce said he was right, that Chuck would remember the intel. Then he injected Chuck with what he had been "threatening" him with.

When Sarah and Casey found Chuck passed-out in the elevator, Bryce had escaped through the door in the roof. Later, Sarah took him home, and in the courtyard, he asked her about the two of them. Sarah said he was protected, but she avoided talking about their relationship. Ellie showed up and asked Sarah whether she was coming to Thanksgiving dinner. She said yes.

The next day in a closed Buy More, Morgan ran drills for the Nerd Herd for crowd control. He revealed the emergency code word to be "Pineapple."

That evening, Chuck returned home with a bag of groceries he got at the store. Casey was already there in a suit because Ellie had invited him. Because of something Bryce had said, Chuck asked for confirmation that Casey was the one who shot Bryce.

While Ellie was finishing getting the table ready for dinner, Chuck told her that Morgan was bringing his girlfriend, and he apologized. Ellie was excited Morgan had a real girlfriend. When Morgan and Anna arrived, Ellie was friendly, but under her breath, Anna called Ellie a hussy.

At Thanksgiving dinner, everyone liked Ellie's cooking. Morgan said he wanted "critical side dish number 2." He was disappointed that there were no marshmallows on the sweet potatoes. Anna declared Thanksgiving ruined. Chuck realized he had forgotten the marshmallows in his car, so he went to get them.

Out in the courtyard, Chuck was confronted by Bryce. Bryce dissed Chuck for living with his sister. Chuck started to explain it was because Bryce got him kicked out of Stanford, but the rogue spy cut him off and said he needed to talk to Sarah, without Casey. He said Chuck needed to help because the guy at the elevator worked for Fulcrum and they were after the Intersect—they were after Chuck.

Back inside, Morgan dug into the green bean casserole Anna had brought. He didn't like it and didn't do a good job of faking his reaction. He asked Anna if it had soy sauce. Everyone else refused a serving. Chuck mouthed to Sarah that Bryce was in his bedroom.

Casey and Devon were sitting by each other, and Devon suggested they go white water rafting. The brochures were in Chuck's room, where Sarah and Bryce were, so Chuck said he'd get them.

Chuck's room appeared empty, but Bryce dropped from his hiding spot in the corner of the ceiling and surprised her. He said she shouldn't arrest him because he's not a rogue spy, the Intersect was a mission, and she was still in love with him. They kissed, and from the hall, Chuck saw them.

After Chuck went back to the table, Sarah broke off the kiss, not happy. At dinner, Devon said they should go around the table and say what they are thankful for. He said he was thankful he was there with the most beautiful woman in the world, which Morgan quietly agreed with, and which Anna heard. Ellie said she was thankful for her family and friends. Casey passed. Chuck said he was thankful that Bryce Larkin was dead and not currently in his bedroom, making out with his new girlfriend. Casey understood the clue and excused himself from the table.

Casey went into Chuck's room, gun drawn, but Bryce fled through the window. Chuck thought he might have made a mistake, so he rushed to his room.

Ellie brought the sweet potatoes to the table. Morgan dug in. He started making noises because of how good it was. Ellie was thrilled with how Morgan was acting. Anna got jealous of how the two were acting and said Ellie could have him, before she left in a fit. Morgan followed after this girlfriend, and Ellie didn't understand.

Chuck, Sarah, and Casey looked for Bryce in the courtyard. Casey went to call it in. Sarah figured out that Chuck saw her and Bryce kissing. Chuck and Sarah noticed the light turn on in Casey's apartment.

Inside Casey's, Bryce was trying to hack into Casey's computer. Sarah and Bryce drew guns on each other. Bryce said "Fulcrum" was inside the CIA and used his activation codes. They ordered him to make an internal strike on the Intersect to download and destroy its intel. Bryce lowered his gun because he didn't know who to trust. Sarah asked why Chuck. Bryce said he needed a friend who wasn't a spy and wouldn't know about "Sandwall."

Chuck flashed on "Sandwall" and said Bryce was telling the truth. Casey walked in and quickly shot Bryce. Bryce was wearing a vest, so he survived.

With Bryce on Casey's couch, he revealed more. His theory was they saved his life in "one of the European clinics." First, Bryce told the Fulcrum agent that he had downloaded the Intersect. Then, the agent took Bryce for Fulcrum. Bryce told Sarah and Casey he wanted to turn himself in to the "real CIA." Chuck had an idea: Buy More on Black Friday with a lot of people where Chuck could make a pass on the CIA agents and try to flash on them.

Before Buy More opened, Big Mike rallied the Buy Morons and then said everyone needs to do their part…while he was in his office.

Anna told Morgan that he had failed the "test" at dinner. Morgan didn't understand why there were tests. Later, Morgan saw Bryce and thought he looked like his best friend's dead roommate who had betrayed him. Bryce lied and said it wasn't him. Chuck walked past the CIA agents who were to pick up Bryce, and he didn't flash, meaning they were not Fulcrum. Chuck talked to Bryce, who apologized for his attitude earlier and said Chuck had friends everywhere, while his only friend was Chuck. Sarah left with Bryce to oversee the hand-off.

In the back of the transport car, Bryce hit on Sarah and invited her to go with him. She said she had her assignment. He started to make a pass, but their car was rammed by another.

The man from the elevator, Tommy Delgado, showed up and confronted Chuck at the Nerd Herd desk. Delgado said the large group of witnesses was not safe, Bryce and Sarah had been reacquired, and Casey had been neutralized.

When the Fulcrum agent at the car crash called in, Sarah and Bryce woke up and disappeared. When the agent wasn't looking, they took him out. With Delgado not there, they hurried back to Buy More and Chuck.

While Chuck was being guided by a gun from Delgado, Jeff came up to Chuck panicked that the registers were broken. Delgado told Chuck not to say two words, so Chuck said one: "Pineapple."

Jeff ran to Morgan and relayed "Pineapple." Morgan doubted him until Jeff said that the word was from Chuck. Morgan immediately took it seriously and used a megaphone to tell the customers in the store that there was an emergency. To Anna, he said "Pineapple," so she pulled the fire alarm.

Casey used the distraction to get free. He then took Chuck in a fireman's carry to the home theater room. Big Mike stopped eating a donut and tried to stop the mad stampede of customers leaving the store. Morgan jumped to action and carried Anna out of the store to save her. Anna said Morgan should put her down.

With the store empty, the Fulcrum agents tried to secure the place. They were in a shootout with Casey when Bryce and Sarah returned to the store. The two of them worked seamlessly as a team to take out most of the Fulcrum agents.

They didn't get one: Delgado, who captured Chuck. He used him as a shield to get out. In Klingon, Bryce asked Chuck if he was wearing a vest. Since he was, Bryce shot him. With his shield gone, Delgado was distracted, and Casey flanked him and knocked him out.

Outside in the parking lot, Morgan put Anna down, and she said he "passed." Big Mike came over mad that the store was evacuated. A fireman came over and said there was a gas leak, so whoever evacuated the store saved a lot of lives.

Bryce came out of a debrief in the home theater room wearing a tux. He had been given a mission at a consulate dinner to go after Fulcrum, on his own, under the radar. He told Sarah that they would "always have Omaha."

That night, Chuck knocked on Casey's door and asked him what Omaha meant. Casey said it was probably a code so Sarah would meet up with Bryce if she wanted to leave with him.

In her room, Sarah stared out the window, packed ready to leave. Bryce called her room phone. Before she could answer, her cell phone rang, showing Chuck's picture.

Chapter Characters: Sarah, Chuck, Casey, Ellie, Morgan

Songs (from 1x10):
- "No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses
- "Sugar Assault Me Now" by Pop Levi

www. imdb. com (8.6/10)
chuckthisblog. wordpress. com (40/91)

Friday, November 23, 2007
Maison23
Los Angeles, CA

What was she thinking?

Both her room phone and her cell phone rang. She'd never given out her room phone number. Even Wienerlicious had her cell number. The call had to be redirected from the front desk and it had to be from someone who knew she was in LA but who didn't know her cell number. That meant Bryce.

Her cell phone lit up with an image of the caller—Chuck. One look at Chuck's picture on her cell phone made it clear that she had almost made a horrible mistake. There was no way she could leave him behind.

Earlier, she had packed to go off with Bryce because he was all she deserved. There was no love there, but she was certain that love wasn't in her future. She was telling the truth when she told Chuck their thing under the undercover thing wasn't going anywhere. The amazing kiss at the docks didn't change anything. She didn't deserve to find happiness with Chuck.

Leaving to go off with Bryce was a way to get out of the situation with Chuck. She couldn't be with him, and he deserved someone who could be there for him and make him happy. Casey was right that Bryce was a traitor, but the CIA didn't care. Sarah herself was a criminal, and Graham overlooked that. She deserved to be with a criminal. As the Andersons, she and Bryce were always a good team. If the CIA was going to let Bryce go undercover, Sarah could go with him. The CIA wouldn't care, and they'd find a person more worthy of Chuck to protect him.

However, looking at the picture on her phone, she thought while there might be more worthy people to protect Chuck, no one was more motivated. She would do whatever it took to keep him safe. If that meant torturing herself by staying his cover-girlfriend and not his real-girlfriend, she'd do it.

He was the one who should be happy. He didn't deserve to be with an assassin. He was too good of a person to be happy with her. When the time came, she'd step aside and let him be happy with someone else. Her happiness was irrelevant.

Both phones stopped ringing. Bryce should know better than to call her. His call through the main switchboard would be traceable. She'd have to get a CIA tech to delete both the phone company and Maison23 logs, though the CIA would permanently log all calls to her room. That call was extremely sloppy for someone going undercover.

It was a good thing she didn't answer Chuck's call. If it was a flash and she didn't answer, he'd call Casey. However, after the Black Friday fiasco, Chuck was home from work, safe and sound. He had no reason to flash. She knew he was calling her to talk about Bryce. She couldn't talk to him about Bryce without compromising herself. If she compromised herself, she'd be reassigned. It wouldn't matter that she was the best person to keep Chuck safe.

It was a mess. Maybe it would make more sense in the morning.

Sarah put the suitcase that she always kept packed back in the closet, and she got ready for bed. After that, she'd sleep and not think and not remember anything. She didn't want to think more about how much better one real kiss with Chuck was, compared to any kiss with Bryce.

Saturday, November 24, 2007
Echo Park Apartment

Chuck woke not sure what to feel.

After that amazing kiss at the docks, with Sarah kissing him like their lives were going to end, part of him was ecstatic. He was never comfortable with cover-kisses because he felt like he was taking advantage of Sarah, but she initiated that one. It was proof that she wanted to really kiss him as much as he wanted to really kiss her.

The other part of him reminded him that she kissed Bryce in Chuck's bedroom just a couple days later. She saved Chuck's life again the next day, but now he didn't know what it all meant. It shouldn't matter what that meant because Sarah was back with Bryce, just like Jill had left him for his nemesis.

Days like this, he didn't want to go to work. He wanted to stay in bed. After the pineapple situation at Buy More yesterday, there was a lot to do. NSA cleaners had somehow managed to hide bullet holes, but they couldn't get rid of the holiday shoppers. The customers would be back, making up for everything they didn't buy yesterday. Big Mike had extended Black Friday sales to Saturday because almost no one bought anything Friday, due to the "gas leak." The prices would be higher, and the "discounts" wouldn't really be discounts, but the store was still opening early. That meant Chuck had more to do.

Maison23

"I'm not coming in today."

Walking in from his car into Buy More, Casey responded to Sarah in his cell. "Are you taking a trip to Nebraska?"

Sarah didn't answer. It would've been easier if no one had heard what Bryce had said about "Omaha." She simply said, "Call if there's a flash."

Buy More

Later at work, Chuck discretely asked Casey, "Have you seen Sarah today?"

Casey answered, "She called in sick."

"Oh really? Maybe I should take her some soup."

"Don't bother. Omaha has a lot of fresh air."

Chuck frowned and walked away.

Sunday, November 25, 2007
Maison23

In the middle of the afternoon, Sarah got out of bed and decided the best thing about her building was that they had laundry service that returned clean clothes on Sundays.

After changing, she got immediately back into bed. If there was a problem, Casey or Graham would call her. She didn't want to think about how many times she hadn't answered Chuck's calls.

Monday, November 26, 2007
Buy More

On Monday, Chuck had nothing to do at work. After Christmas, everyone would need help with their new devices, but now, people didn't want help. Anything broken was a gift idea for a replacement. Also, that was Buy More's unofficial policy. He wasn't supposed to fix old things so people wouldn't buy new things.

With nothing to do, he couldn't help but think about Sarah. He hadn't talked to her since Friday because she was sick. He hoped she was ok. He kept calling her, but he might have woken her. That was not being a good fake boyfriend.

Was that what they were? Were they boyfriend and girlfriend again? Sarah had said that before she went to Thanksgiving dinner. Sort of.

She probably had her phone muted, but he figured texting might be better.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Maison23

Enough of this.

Sarah knew she had been wallowing by staying in bed all day, trying to avoid facing the world. There was only one person who she couldn't face, but she would if she had to—if he flashed and she had to protect him. She just couldn't face Chuck in a cover situation because she now knew what it was like without a cover.

She hadn't been going on morning runs, so she needed to do something to stay in shape. She had plenty of space in her apartment. It's not like she had a TV or computer. Having something like that would not be good because she might have to call for Nerd Herd tech support, meaning Chuck would come over with a pizza again, and she wouldn't be able to resist him.

Their pet, who they had named Goldie together, was gone in a new home. At least that's what the pet store told her they were going to do. She didn't want to have to explain to Chuck that she got rid of their fish because he reminded her of Chuck after he broke up with her.

Should could set up a workout area instead of tech and pet spaces. Devon would probably know the best thing for workaround equipment. Ellie might have a more practical recommendation for something to use indoors that could be stashed out of the way, but that's not what she needed. Staying in LA, it had to be all about the mission. No need for something she could hide when entertaining. She wouldn't be doing that.

She wondered… She called down to the front desk and was transferred to Facilities. Maison23 hadn't expected a request like hers. Fortunately, the CIA hadn't skimped on a building with poor construction. The building also appreciated that her bills were always promptly paid. The CIA would completely pay for the necessary structural modification at double the typical cost. In a couple days, she'd have her own workout space with a place to hang a punching bag.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Echo Park Apartment

Casey drove Chuck to work in his "new" Crown Vic. Chuck commented about how Sarah drove a Porsche, but Casey only got a car from the 80s. "Did you know a car has to be 25 years old to be classified as an antique? This car isn't that old, yet." Casey started a low growl, so Chuck dropped it.

He was going to next ask about Sarah. Chuck still hadn't seen her, or even talked to her, since Friday. Yesterday, he received a text response:

I'm fine. Getting life back together. Tell Casey about any problems.

Apparently, she was no longer sick, but it was bad enough that she was still recovering. She wanted him to go to Casey with any problems, which meant flashes.

Chuck would always pick Sarah first, but with Sarah saying to go to Casey first, he'd do that. The big guy would appreciate being the first pick.

Thursday, November 29, 2007
Maison23

Early evening, Sarah was exhausted. She was excited to try out the new punching bag she had installed the day before. They were supposed to be used for up to a half hour for a workout. She had a lot of pent-up energy and frustration, though. After two hours, she stopped and ordered lunch. In the afternoon, she did two more long workouts, one kicking and one mixed punching and kicking. In between, she went on a run.

At this rate, the bag wouldn't last long. It was going to be a good way to stay in shape, though, so she needed to look into ordering different types of replacement bags to hang, including a speed bag and a heavy bag.

Friday, November 30, 2007
Echo Park Apartment

Chuck didn't know what was happening with Sarah. Other than that one text message, he had had no contact with her for a week. She said she was fine, but people had different definitions of "fine." Maybe she was still deathly ill, by a normal person's standards.

He had to keep up appearances, though. When he got back from work, Ellie asked what he was doing with Sarah that night. It was Friday night. Even though he hadn't been able to set up a real date with her, he had to pretend he was going on one with her.

With Bryce back, maybe she was on a date with him. He didn't want to think about that.

He and Sarah didn't have a real date, but he could cover it. Forget a real date. Unfortunately, it wouldn't even be a cover date. Those were always fun with Sarah. To protect the cover, he had to fake going on a date with his fake girlfriend, even when she wasn't there.

If it was a weeknight, he'd play video games with Morgan. On a Friday, even Morgan had plans with his girlfriend. If Anna wasn't in the picture, it still wouldn't be a good idea to tell Ellie that he was going out with Sarah before hanging out with Morgan. Ellie would find out because Morgan wasn't a steel trap, and she was a bloodhound.

He thought briefly about going over to Casey's. The NSA agent would keep a secret. However, it was bad enough that Chuck wouldn't be around Sarah. Chuck didn't want to torture Casey by hanging around.

Chuck decided that he'd walk around the neighborhood, pretending to be on a date. Even though it was dark before 5, it was only Echo Park. It'd be safe. He wouldn't tell Casey because he didn't want to hear the complaints about protecting him. Chuck was the one protecting the cover, so he didn't need a spy protector.

Saturday, December 1, 2007
Maison23

Hearing a knock at the door, Sarah stopped beating the crap out of her punching bag and answered it. Sarah backed up from the peephole because of who it was. It was the one person who normally scared her more than Chuck did at the moment: Ellie.

What was Ellie doing there? Sarah didn't want to talk to Chuck because she knew what he'd want to talk about, but it was her job to protect him, so she'd deal with it. That wasn't the problem with Ellie. Even before the incident, Sarah didn't know how to deal with her one-on-one.

Sarah was scared of her because Ellie was the one person who might see through the cover to what kind of hollow person Sarah was. Or she would go on and on about how cute of a couple Sarah and Chuck were. That was not what Sarah needed to hear. The cover was always that Sarah and Chuck were taking things slow, but Sarah knew that Ellie would not understand. She didn't know that Sarah and Chuck weren't really dating and would push.

Sarah took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi, Ellie."

"Sarah! It's good to see you!" Sarah let her in as Ellie looked up and down at Sarah in her workout clothes. "You're not sick."

Oh, yeah. The cover about why she had been away. Sarah didn't know what Chuck had said about her condition. She'd have to fake it, like she did in that couples game a few weeks ago. Sarah told the truth, from a certain point of view. (Ha, Chuck! She knew that line from that movie. True, she hadn't seen it, but she knew the line. Growing up, her dad quoted it to tell her how to work a mark. You don't have to worry about lying if you stay close to the truth.)

"I'm not 100%," Sarah said. That was true because of how Chuck was making her feel. "I'm still not back at Wienerlicious." Also true.

"You should be resting, not pushing yourself."

"I was seeing what I could do. I haven't been working out long." That was mostly true, for Sarah. She had only been going at it for a half hour and figured she still had an hour before her break.

"You're as bad as Devon—never knowing when to stop." She looked over and saw the bag hanging in the corner of her room. "You might be worse. I let Devon use gravity boots in the hall, but I wouldn't allow something like that in our bedroom. I see now what Chuck meant by you being too active for him. Is that why you didn't go out with him last night?"

Chuck said what? That bothered Sarah more than it should.

Sarah didn't know what she and Chuck were supposed to be doing last night. It was Friday night: date night. Sarah had been a bad cover-girlfriend. She should've got over her own issues and made plans with Chuck (preferably plans in public where she could take advantage of his fear of PDA).

Sarah took a step back from the other woman and said, "Like I said, I'm still not back where I was, so I don't want to get Chuck sick. This morning, I'm seeing how I'm doing." That was not completely true. It was true that she didn't want to get Chuck sick. However, since Sarah had not been sick herself, that was not likely. She knew how she was doing, without the workout. She felt awful. She was trying to make herself feel better by punching through the bag. She couldn't say that, though.

Ellie gave Sarah a skeptical look. Sarah was certain the doctor had perfected it when her patients weren't being totally truthful. Fortunately, Sarah knew how to not reveal secrets. Ellie jumped to the wrong conclusion and asked, "You didn't get food poisoning after Thanksgiving dinner, did you?"

Sarah shook her head no.

"Spastic colon again?"

Sarah's brow wrinkled in confusion. Why would Ellie say she had that again? It must be because of a cover-story Chuck made up. She needed to learn what other ailments she might need to fake. It was too late this time because she had already been surprised at the statement. The only thing she could do was reassure the master cook. "No, Thanksgiving was delicious. I went to see Chuck on Friday at Buy More." True. "I think I took in some of the gas." Not true. The gas leak was the NSA cover story. "I'm doing better now."

"If you're sure. I thought I was going to have to convince you to go to the doctor. You know, a couple days ago, I had to tell my brother to not bother by bringing over soup." Sarah was glad the other woman had spared her that. Facing Chuck was the last thing she wanted to do. "I see now you're striving to be perfect. No one is ever perfect. Chuck doesn't care if you're perfect. The way he always looks at you, I know he always sees perfection, regardless of how you feel. You know you don't have to be perfect to see him. You're always that in his eyes."

Sarah didn't know what to say. She just gave Ellie a slight closed mouth smile as thanks for the compliment. If Chuck looked at her that way before, and Ellie could see it, it'd be worse now. Fortunately, Ellie kept speaking. "I know you didn't go out with Chuck last night because we heard him sneak back in through his bedroom window. "

Sarah still didn't know what to say. She didn't have to say anything because the Bartowskis were talkers. "I'm just glad you're getting better." She pointed at Sarah's exercise area. "Don't overdo it."

Ellie didn't worry about getting something from Sarah, who wouldn't be contagious anymore, anyway. She also didn't worry about Sarah being sweaty. She gave Sarah a huge hug, like only she could give.

She wondered if the other Bartowski was a big hugger, like they were both talkers. No! Stop thinking about hugging Chuck and the last time you held his face. She shook out her head and walked the elder sibling to the door.

One again alone in the apartment, Sarah took out more frustration on her punching bag. She was in LA for an assignment. She didn't deserve to be around wonderful people like Ellie and Chuck who cared about her. She should have gone with Bryce. That way, she wouldn't have been around anyone who cared about her.

Having hit her wallowing limit for the day. She went back to trying to split the stitches in her bag.

Sunday, December 2, 2007
Buy More

Most of the year, as a member of the Nerd Herd, Chuck wasn't involved with sales. The Christmas shopping season was different. In prior years, Harry Tang made sure the Herd didn't help, but he was gone. That meant everyone in the Nerd Herd was on standby to help with laptop and desktop computer sales.

In practice, the entire Herd was not busy with sales. Some of the white-shirts weren't asked for help by the green-shirts, and that was a good thing. Skip and Anna were okay, but Jeff and Lester were never requested to help sales.

Chuck, though, was the favorite of every member of the sales staff. Whenever a customer had a difficult question, Chuck was the one to ask. He had originally been a green-shirt and knew how to not ruin a sale, which was another reason the green-shirts loved him.

While on stand-by, he wasn't the person constantly going up to browsing customers and saying, "Do you have any questions?" Instead of being continually busy, he had to be ready to step-in. That means he couldn't do much except look around and wait until he was needed.

Browsing, he wondered what he should get for Sarah. He also wondered if she was ok. Ellie told him last night that Sarah was fine. Maybe he should go see her, just to be sure.

He should figure out what to get her for Christmas, first. Otherwise, she'd probably read his mind and know that he had no idea what he should get for her. A good boyfriend—real or just cover—should know what his girlfriend wanted.

Monday, December 3, 2007
Maison23

Mid-afternoon, Scooter called. "Miss Walker, when will you be able to come back to work?"

Sarah sighed. They were probably calling because they needed another person for the holidays. Compared to national security, it didn't matter to her, but it was her cover job. She should go back. The weekly schedule was made Monday. Hopefully, he didn't need her for tomorrow. "Put me on the schedule for tomorrow."

"You know we don't pay sick-time."

Of course they didn't. "I'm not worried about that." Ellie, Morgan, and Devon figured out at the make-up family and friends dinner at Wienerlicious that Sarah wasn't working there for the money. She could probably buy the entire franchise with the money she had socked away. The CIA could buy the franchise and the entire building with a fraction of their discretionary budget.

For now, she had to keep working at the cover job, meaning it was her last day of hiding. Tomorrow, Sarah would go back to her cover job and would see Chuck. The previous week and a half had been the first time she had gone more than two days without seeing Chuck since her assignment started. She hoped she could do it without melting into a puddle.

She thought she better set the alarm.

Buy More

Morgan didn't know what was wrong with Chuck. His friend had been a mess since he had been trying to get back with Sarah. That hadn't happened yet, because if he had won Sarah back, Morgan would be able to tell because Chuck would be doing a Snoopy dance.

Morgan had learned that Ellie had seen Sarah, but he knew Chuck hadn't. If he had, he would be bouncing around the store, instead of maintaining a day-dreaming look.

The little man had a more personal problem. Anna said that she couldn't go with him tonight. He needed to stake out her place to find out why not. A stakeout might take a while, so he should pack a sandwich. It was too bad Lou's had been shut down by the health department, but it'd be cheaper to get his mom to make him one anyway.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Echo Park Apartment

When Chuck woke up, he knew it was going to be a good day. Yesterday, Casey told Chuck that Sarah was going into work at Wienerlicious. Today, he'd get to see his beautiful cover-girlfriend again.

It'd been a week and a half. Chuck was smart enough to realize that Sarah wasn't looking to go out on a real date with him. However, she didn't break-up the cover with him when she talked to Ellie.

If he could talk to her again, maybe she would realize that they had something under their undercover things. Their kiss was proof of that.

A/N: Chuck and Sarah went a long time without talking.

MyNameIsJeffNImLost AU stories:
- Chuck vs His Former Handler" (chapter 6-7, "Sweet Potatoes and Marshmallows" and "I Come In Peace")
- The Bartowskis vs the Spy World (chapter 10, "Happy Together" )
- Ellie vs the Ninja (chapters 11-12, "Ellie vs the Nemesis" and "Ellie vs Black Friday Clearance")
- Chuck vs Under the Cover (chapter 3, "For Cover")