Posted November 19, 2023
A/N: Oh, no! Not her! Unfortunately, it happened in the show and this show doesn't change canon like that. Don't panic because we never saw Chuck and Jill finish a real second first date.
"Chuck vs the Ex" (2x06) Recap
Here's a couple of things that you might need to know or maybe you just forgot
In 2002 after Chuck had been expelled, he wore a Buy More green-shirt and stood outside Jill's second-story window at Stanford to explain his side, face-to-face. Jill didn't come to the window at first. Her friend, Shari, said Jill didn't want to speak with him, as evidenced by her not returning his 28 phone messages. Jill told Chuck it was too late and they were over. Shari said Jill's dating Bryce Larkin.
In 2008 at Buy More, Chuck was upset, listening to his "Jill" playlist. Emmett got his attention and told him the Sheraton Conference Center needed him for a tech-support call.
At the conference, Chuck told an organizer that the network was set up. When he saw Jill across the entrance hall, Chuck hid under the table. Jill came over to the desk and asked the organizer for help with the tech for her lecture. The man sold out Chuck, revealing his hiding place.
Quickly catching up, she said she got a PhD in biomedical engineering. Chuck lied, saying he owned a computer repair company with 17 stores. Chuck flashed on Jill's boss, Guy LeFleur. After Jill offered to catch up on old times, she walked off arm-in-arm with Guy.
On a video call at Castle, the general said it was Chuck's job to find out more about Guy by reconnecting with Jill on a date. Chuck tried to get out of it, but Sarah convinced him to do it and said the CIA would make him look good.
Emmett had brown-nosed Big Mike by giving him a box of donuts. One almost caused him to choke to death, so Emmett scheduled a CPR training session for Buy More employees, taught by Devon. Despite Chuck being certified, Emmett said he still had to take the test.
At the apartment that evening, Ellie stopped Chuck because she saw him leaving with a new suit for a "big date." Chuck said it was not a date with Sarah, the suit was bought with a coupon, and he was going to see Jill. Ellie didn't take it well.
Jill was impressed on the date/mission because it was like he owned the place. At their table, she said she was glad things turned out so well for Chuck. When he said he never stole the tests at Stanford, she said it did matter now. He wouldn't let it go and said Bryce must've made a very convincing argument for her to dump him and then hop right into his bed.
Chuck's mark was about to end the date when Sarah interrupted due to a "phone call at the bar." There, Sarah and Casey both told Chuck to get back to the mission. Back with Jill, Chuck apologized and said they were going to drop it.
After dinner, waiting outside for the fancy mission-car from the valet, Lester and Jeff saw Chuck with Jill, asked where Sarah was, and said the car wasn't his because he worked at the Buy More. Jill realized she had been duped and stormed off.
In a surveillance van outside the hotel the next day, Sarah and Casey listened to Guy. Chuck entered and admitted he was checking on Jill. Because the bug in Jill's room was on the fritz, Sarah suggested she go in with another. Casey said it was safer if he went and tranqed her. Chuck said he'd go in, tell her he was a loser, and plant the new bug.
Back at the apartment, Jeff, Lester, and Morgan tried to steal the CPR test. Lester and Jeff distracted Ellie while Morgan took Awesome's bag. She dismissed them and with her fiancé, she caught Morgan in their bedroom with the little man holding her underwear. The test was not in the bag anyway.
At Jill's room, Chuck knocked and apologized through the door by telling the truth and saying he hadn't gotten over Jill. That convinced her to forgive him and let him in.
While he tried to plan the bug, she said was having a nice time early in the date. She didn't want any more lies, so he turned the bug off.
Back in the van, Chuck had a goofy smile because it had gone well with Jill. After he admitted he turned off the bug, Casey turned on the bug remotely. Chuck still had a goofy look, so when Sarah pressed him again, he admitted Jill had kissed him.
On a surveillance video, Chuck flashed on an assassin. Chuck was ordered to stay in the van while Sarah and Casey went to save Guy.
Alone in the van, Chuck heard a call from Jill to Shari. Jill said Chuck looked like a cute puppy dog so she couldn't keep him out. Shari called him a dork that made ten bucks an hour.
Chuck contradicted, but his voice went through the bug to the phone line. Jill heard, got mad, and said she was calling security.
Meanwhile Sarah and Casey broke into Guy's hotel room, but he was not there. Chuck knew because he had fallen out the window onto where Chuck was staying in the van.
Back at Castle, Casey was debriefing Jill, who was a mess. Chuck wanted to console her, but Sarah said he couldn't because she couldn't know Chuck was a spy. It was better that she thought of him as a stalker.
Casey told Jill that Chuck wasn't involved, but Guy was not good. Jill said it was a misunderstanding. Guy had discovered an antiviral for a deadly flu strain that their company sold as a weapon. He was presenting at the conference so the company couldn't cover it up.
Chuck was worried that Jill would put herself at risk by doing the presentation in Guy's place. Sarah said she'd do the presentation instead.
For the Buy More CPR test, Jeff, Lester, and Morgan started cheating off of Chuck. At the same time, Sarah started the presentation. She saw the assassin set off a virus weapon, so she excused herself. Casey ordered the room to be sealed and called Chuck to get Jill. When he left the CPR test, Emmett threw away his test as a failure.
At Jill's room, she wouldn't answer the door. Chuck said it was an emergency and he was CIA. Jill didn't believe him, but Chuck insisted she see the police who were already with him. That convinced her, so she went with him.
At the conference center, Chuck took charge. Since time was short, Chuck went in before the CDC was there with hazmat suits. Jill injected Chuck with a modified version of the viral strain so his body would create an antiviral serum. Chuck freaked out after the injection, and Jill said she thought he understood that she was injecting him with the virus.
Chuck tried to get Casey to help take his blood with an injector, but the syringe dropped and broke. When Jill said she was going to find another, Chuck tried kissing Casey, thinking saliva would work. Finally in a hazmat suit, Jill saw the end of the kiss and told him that was a ridiculous idea.
In the CPR test, Jeff swallowed a pen cap to cause himself to choke. Emmett did the Heimlich and said aloud the steps as he was doing it. Morgan and Lester used that information to finish the test.
Sarah killed the assassin. When she went back to the group outside the conference center, she saw Chuck and Jill kissing in congratulations and thanks.
On a call back at Castle, Beckman ordered Casey to not do anything about Jill knowing about Chuck. Jill could be used as bait for Fulcrum. Casey and Sarah weren't to tell Chuck.
Ellie saw Chuck looked the happiest he had been in a while. She thought it was good Chuck got answers about Jill and incorrectly thought he was ready to move on with Sarah.
Chuck got a call from Jill, not Sarah, like Ellie thought. They flirted about him being a "secret agent" and her helping him with his CPR test. Chuck told her his relationship with Sarah was just a cover.
Songs (from 2x06):
"Pumpin' for Jill" by Iggy Pop
"Papa Love Mambo" by Perry Como
www. imdb. com (8.6/10)
chuckthisblog. wordpress. com (70/91)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Casey started a file on the background check on Jill Roberts. He opened the original file on her over a year ago, going back to when he was first assigned to watch the walking computer. His initial task was to investigate all recent liaisons. Turns out, there were none. The closest was Roberts. Once he learned that Bartowski had had no contact with his college girlfriend, there was no point in filling in details for the file. Roberts was just someone from Bartowski's past, so there was no point of more than a single note in the file.
While no extensive background check was done back then, things had changed. From what Casey saw after she saved them all from the poisoning at the conference, it was clear that Roberts spun the geek's hard drive. Considering she's an egghead scientist, he was sure this background check would be easy.
Casey's cell rang. He looked at it, and it was none other than the asset. They were across the courtyard from each other. He didn't understand why the walking computer couldn't walk over and knock.
"What do you want?" Casey answered with a growl.
"Well hello to you, too, Buddy." Oh, no. Chuck was in a mood. A little affection from a non-meat-smuggling woman, and he's even less tolerable. "I have a question for you."
"Not interested." One stupid, completely unnecessary kiss from the asset didn't save him from poison, but it made the moron an even more of an idiot.
"That's not what I was going to ask. I'm not interested either." Bullet dodged. "You know Jill's taking me back." Casey held his tongue from an easy quip. Actually, there were a lot of easy ones. "I'm going to take her out on a date, so I'm looking for a recommendation."
"Why would you think that I care where you two connect your devices?"
"What? … No … That's not what I meant."
Casey had thought he had dodged that unwanted bullet, but you never knew with the moron, so the marine reiterated, "I'd hope not, but if you did, you're out of luck with me. I don't swing that way. Don't ask. Don't tell. No one asked, but I'm telling you anyway. Not happening." Casey wanted to vomit from the thought that quip caused. "You already having trouble booting with your new babe? Maybe she can make an antidote for that." Casey snickered.
"Well, that's not a problem. At least I don't think so. We're not back there yet, anyway. My problem is I want to take her to dinner tomorrow, and I'm out of ideas."
"Why are you asking me?"
"I can't ask Ellie, Morgan, or Devon, because they don't know that she and I are making another go of it. I can't ask anyone at Buy More either because they don't know who she is. Jeff and Lester saw her, but I trust your recommendation more than anything they say."
"Am I supposed to be flattered by such a low bar? That's not saying much."
He didn't acknowledge the question. "Asking Sarah would be really awkward and wrong. I've been a lot of places with her for cover-dates, so those places are out because they would be weird."
"Glad to know I'm the only one left to ask. Thanks for the high level of trust. I don't understand why you can't just ask Ken, Barbie, or your bearded barnacle? You don't have to say it's for your college sweetheart."
"Ellie knows I went on that dinner mission—not that it was a mission, of course. I was just having dinner with an old girlfriend from a long time ago."
"You had a girlfriend other than Jill?"
"Well, no. She knows it was Jill, not a mission. El didn't react well even before she found out about the cover story for the date-mission."
"I still don't see a problem."
"I don't know. Sarah and I broke up—"
"What?"
"Not like before. Last year, Sarah and I broke up the cover so I could date Lou. This time, Sarah and I broke up a few weeks ago."
"A few weeks ago. Why wasn't I told about the change in the cover?"
"The difference is we didn't change the cover. Sarah and I are still 'dating' in the cover. We broke up under the cover. Ellie and Awesome don't know."
Then what was the point of breaking up? Whatever. Walker and Bartowski always had something under the cover, but it was better if they didn't try. Casey reminded his asset, "You were never together under the cover. Walker knows better. There was nothing to break up."
"I know that, but it was sometimes confusing. A couple weeks ago, Sarah and I cleared the air."
Casey hadn't noticed much difference the past few weeks from the entire last year. They weren't really boyfriend—girlfriend, but they were still a cover couple when they would pretend to be into each other. Based on what he saw the past couple weeks, they were still all googly eyes for each other.
If Bartowski was really trying a real girlfriend who wasn't a spy again, Walker wouldn't be happy. The agent asked, "What if Roberts doesn't realize she should dump you right away? Don't you have to tell everyone then? Or is this only a couple days, like with the sandwich maker?"
"I don't know. Jill was going to leave town after the conference. She's staying in town for a few days, so I don't know what will happen. It's nice that I don't have to lie to her."
Some things were private even from most of the rest of the government. Roberts was less than even that. "Don't tell her—"
"I know. I won't tell her about the Intersect, but she knows I work with the government, which helps. No undercover FDA-agent cover story is needed."
It might help for the relationship, but not enough for someone with no mojo, like Chuck. Even though Walker was CIA, not military, she was still his partner, so as much as the non-existent relationship annoyed him, Casey still felt the need to stick up for his partner. "You shouldn't step out on your 'cover-girlfriend,' so if you and Roberts last more than a week, you should stage another cover-breakup."
"Right. I would never cheat on Sarah. No one would believe it anyway. Last time, most people didn't understand why I would break up with Sarah, so I had to explain over and over. They didn't know that it's all fake with Sarah because they didn't know about the cover to begin with. If it lasts with Jill, I'll do the right thing by Sarah and will protect the cover. Before then, I need to make it through at least one date, which brings me back to the reason I called… What's the best place to eat in LA?"
That was simple. "Your sister's."
"I can't go there."
"You're sure right you can't. Until you break up the cover, you better not take Roberts to meet your sister."
"They've already met. Ellie never liked her that much. I'm not sure if it will ever be a good idea for Jill to be within swinging distance of my sister."
That didn't make sense. Casey's grunt was full of doubt. Ellie didn't like someone? He didn't believe that was possible. The elder Bartowski was even nice to him.
Chuck clarified, "Actually, she never said that she didn't like her, but I could tell. That was before what happened at Stanford. Why are you worried about Ellie?"
If Chuck was going to try to "walk the tightrope" and have a real girlfriend, he needed Casey to remind him of the limits. "Roberts thinks you and I are Feds. Ellie doesn't know that. So even if you break up the cover with Walker, Roberts can't tell Ellie what she thinks she knows, even though it's wrong. Ellie needs to think of you and me as Buy More employees."
"But if Jill and I really get back together, I can't keep them apart forever. I'll figure out a plan before then."
"If that happens, we'll make sure your new girlfriend knows what she's not allowed to talk about." That's why Casey needed to get back to doing what he was going to do before his idiot neighbor called. He needed to do a deeper dive into the new old girl's background. If he had to place another bet, he'd guess that whatever Chuck was starting back up with Roberts wouldn't last much longer than his dalliance with the meat smuggler. The loser was so passive and non-confrontational, it might last longer this time because he didn't have a spine. It could be even shorter if Walker decided to eliminate the brunette for messing with the cover. Chuck and Sarah weren't really together, but Casey couldn't begrudge her of eliminating any threat to the cover. As Chuck's protectors, Casey and Sarah were authorized to eliminate all threats.
There was an important point Chuck needed to understand, so Casey stated it again to make sure the numbskull understood. "As far as anyone besides you, Walker, Beckman, Roberts, and I know, you are still with your cover-girlfriend."
"Of course. I'm never going to make anyone think I cheated on Sarah with Jill. As I said before, no one would believe it because no one knows it's just a cover. That's part of my problem for this date. I can't invite Jill to my home, and it would be weird going anywhere I've been with Sarah. What's the second best place?"
Casey didn't care if the date went well and was not a food expert about the hottest place to take a date in LA. When he didn't eat home cooking made by the Bartowski who knew how to cook, he ate something like a Hot Pocket, which was not date-food. He couldn't help but give another sarcastic suggestion of a place Chuck and Sarah never went but Chuck couldn't take Jill. "The sandwich place by Buy More was good, but it was shut down because your last girlfriend was breaking the law by smuggling."
Chuck gave up his question. "Know what? Never mind. I'll find a place,"
Knowing the questioning was over, Casey hung up before Chuck had the chance to hang up on him. Phone call over, he had a little time to start his deep-dive before the new WWII documentary about Dunkirk started on the History Channel.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
"What's good at this place?" Jill asked as Chuck pulled his Herder into the restaurant's parking lot. When Chuck had picked her up at the hotel, Jill had offered to drive her convertible, even though it was a cool evening. Chuck thought it was important to take Jill on a real date, without a fancy rental car, so he insisted. Picking her up in a Herder was "more real" than his cover-car which was supposed to impress her for a "fake-date" mission. An impressive sports car worked for Sarah… but he needed to stop thinking that because it wasn't a real date.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I haven't been here. The Yelp reviews are good."
"You've never been here?"
"I told you I have a cover-girlfriend for my government job. We've been to all of the good restaurants near Echo Park and Burbank."
"Is that why we drove an hour from the hotel?"
Chuck thought they hadn't gone that far, but looking at the clock, it turns out they did. "Sarah and I haven't talked about breaking up the cover, yet, so we have to keep up appearances. That means no one who might know me can see the two of us together."
After briefly looking for a parking spot, he kept driving—right out of the parking lot.
"Where are you going, Chuck?"
"They found me."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know John Casey. When we pulled into the parking lot, I saw his car."
"You know his car? I didn't see another car that also looks like a Tylenol gel-cap."
That was low. He was lucky he got to drive the company car after hours when he was on call, plus three nights a month. With the special enhancements added by the government, it was probably the most expensive car in California, even counting those hand-built imports. The fact that his car had things like ejection seats and a self destruct fell into the bucket of things he couldn't tell Jill.
Also, Casey didn't drive a Herder. His Crown Vic did not look anything like a Herder. "It's a normal car." A Crown Vic from the 80s wasn't normal, with or without Casey's enhancements. Jill didn't need to know about those either. He simply explained, "I know what it looks like because I destroyed its predecessor last year."
"You destroyed it? Did he let you drive it or something, and you got into an accident?"
Why would Jill's thinking go there? He was a better driver than that. "No, I blew it up." Wait, defending his honor as a driver, he screwed up. "And that's I probably shouldn't have told you that. It was a mission, and it's classified, so please don't repeat that you heard me say that." He moved on. "After it was destroyed, it was replaced with an identical car, so I know what it looks like. Plus Casey was sitting in it, waiting for us. We should have some privacy on our date."
Jill lightly laughed it off, but Chuck remembered her laughs. She was only tolerating him.
Sarah's Room
Mason 23
BRRRIIINNNGGG. BRRRIIINNNGGG.
Sarah stopped pounding the bag hanging in her room and went to answer her cell phone. It was Casey. He called her earlier than she expected. She thought the date was going to last hours. A small part of her hoped it didn't last until tomorrow, but she needed to stop thinking about her asset that way and how their second and third first dates probably would have ended if they had finished.
"What is it, Casey? Is Chuck ok?" she barked.
"Whoa. Your boy toy is fine. He's home safe and sound."
"He was never my 'boy toy.' What happened? Why is he home already?" Maybe Jill screwed with his head and destroyed his self-esteem again. If that was the case, Sarah would have to rebuild it… because that was her job… that's why.
"The date's over. Chuck dropped off Jill at her hotel ten minutes ago." Sarah's heart skipped a beat. Maybe it really didn't go well. And…she shouldn't be thinking that. "From what I could tell, it ended well. At least that's what everyone who saw two people sucking face would think."
Not good news, then… if Casey was telling the truth and not just messing with her head. No. She needed to think that didn't matter. It was good news because Chuck was ok. She still wanted an explanation. "The reservation was for seven. It's not even nine." Sarah had a short date with Chuck for their second first date, but Colt was in prison, so he shouldn't have shown up, trying to be imposing, at this one. In a way, their first first date was long because Sarah watched Chuck all night at the beach. When Sarah had been concerned about a date that went to next morning, she didn't think that Chuck could have defused a bomb. He was such a hero, that was a possibility.
"They never went into the restaurant. This afternoon, I intercepted his call to make the reservation, meaning I was already there. Chuck drove through the parking lot. I assume he saw me waiting. He took her most of the way back to the hotel, but before he got there, he went through a drive-thru, and they ate in the parking lot. I thought he blew it, but she sure didn't act like that when they said goodbye. My guess is the new/old girl's standards are lower than even yours. They'd have to be for her to be going out with Bartowski at all. She must have thought the drive-thru was enough. It was like a place they would have gone if they were still in college."
There were so many things Sarah wanted to correct Casey about. Jill wasn't showing low standards. She was lucky to be really dating Chuck. From first-hand experience, Sarah knew Chuck knew how to take a woman on a great date, no matter where they went. She and Chuck hadn't actually finished a real date so she didn't know about the goodbye, but she knew Chuck was a great kisser. Jill made the stupid mistake of letting Chuck go, but that was Bryce's fault. He's the one that framed Chuck. Ironically, Bryce messed up her chances with Chuck too—not that they had chances, because she needed to stop thinking like that. Now Jill knew Chuck was a hero, and surely she knew he was a great kisser, so of course she wouldn't let him go.
The reason for the short date was Chuck was smart. Of course he knew Casey would be watching the entire time, and he didn't want a chaperone. Chuck deserved to have a chance with a real girlfriend, so Sarah tried to convince her partner to stand down. "You don't need to watch so closely. We don't need to worry about Jill."
Casey grunted. "Fulcrum's around. A few weeks ago, I wasn't worried about him with you, but I still had to rescue you both."
Sarah carefully refrained from snorting. It was true that during her second first date with Chuck, Casey rescued the two of them, but only after he lost the Cipher. Chuck saved them by recovering it.
Her partner being proud of any part of that was a mistake because there wasn't much to be proud of, but when it came to the first first date, there was absolutely nothing to be proud of. Breaking it up was completely the over-zealous agent's fault. He tried and failed to kill both of them by ramming Chuck's car, back when it was an ordinary car, without armored reinforcement. If Casey had his way, they wouldn't be alive to save for their second first date.
However, she knew better than to correct his misplaced pride. "I'll take care of it next time." She wasn't looking forward to following Chuck and Jill on a date, but she knew how to tail, without being seen.
"It's your turn anyway." He abruptly hung up.
Saying she was not looking forward to shadowing Chuck and Jill on a date was putting it mildly. She was sure they would finish. She dreaded it. It would definitely ruin her evening. Her evening didn't matter. Chuck's evening shouldn't be ruined.
A few days ago when Chuck made his "shooting star" wish, Sarah was sure he was wishing that he would have a chance with her. That couldn't happen because of her job as his handler, but it was a pleasant wish. After she learned the "rules," she didn't risk forcing him to reveal the wish because of the rule she had just learned: revealing a wish would make it not come true. Even though they would never be together, it was a nice wish, and she didn't want to risk it. It's what she would have wished for, too.
Now, she wished that she had forced Chuck to reveal his wish. He obviously wished for a second chance with Jill. Revealing it would have made it not come true.
She would never admit that she "wished" she had done something to ruin Chuck's shooting star wish. The truth was, this way was for the best because Sarah knew she wasn't good enough for Chuck, and it could never happen. This way was more fair to him.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Echo Park Apartments
Chuck braced himself as he prepared to knock. It shouldn't be so hard to knock on the door of his neighbor and protector. Casey would never do anything to hurt him. Quite the opposite, the Marine had proven over and over that he would "catch him when he fell" and save his life. This wasn't about that. This was about last night's aborted date.
His grunting protector had made a habit of breaking up his dates. The first time it was orders, and he almost killed Chuck and Sarah. The second time, technically it was Colt, not him. Casey saved Sarah. It was great that Casey "broke up" that date with Sarah by crashing through the front of the restaurant because he saved their lives. Last night was different. Last night, he was just being creepy.
Knock. Knock.
Chuck didn't have to wait at all for the big guy. He realized and should have known the NSA agent had video security. Chuck had steeled himself long enough before knocking, meaning Casey had time to see someone was there.
"What do you want, Bartowski? Aren't you supposed to be on a date?"
"I was hoping you could do me a favor."
Casey twisted his mouth and cocked his eyebrow. "Why would I do that? What are you holding behind your back?"
The bribe. Chuck revealed the food container. "I was hoping you would back off for my date with Jill tonight."
"I'm not going to do that." Casey snatched the container from Chuck's hands. He lifted the corner of the lid to see the chicken casserole. "Mmmm."
Chuck was disappointed the leftovers didn't work like he hoped. "Come on. Can't you do me a solid? Ellie made that helping for me. She's at work tonight and doesn't know I'm going out on a date with Jill. You said Ellie makes the best food in LA. You can lighten up the surveillance and enjoy the food she made here."
"I'm never going to shirk my duty and change your surveillance so you can get lucky." He lifted the food. "But I am going to thank your sister when I see her, after I enjoy this tonight."
"El thinks I'm going to be home alone."
"Just tell her where you are."
"I can't do that. She hates Jill, and she likes Sarah. Sarah's going to be one of her bridesmaids."
"You could say Sarah is there. If you don't want to say that, that's your problem. Say your other girlfriend got to this food."
"What other—"
"The one with the beard." Casey grunted at his joke.
"Morgan's not…" Chuck stopped because there was no point of arguing something stupid like that. "How does that help when you thank Ellie?"
"You could say the bearded gnome took it from you, I heard about it, and I would never let him get away with that or the food go to waste."
That was plausible. It didn't explain Casey being stubborn about tonight. "Why are you still going to follow me on my date?"
"I said I'm not going to back off. I don't have to. It's not my night to be your keeper. Sarah will actually be at the restaurant."
The blood drained from Chuck's face. Having a keeper follow them was awkward, but having Sarah, his almost real girlfriend, was far worse.
Casey knew what Chuck was thinking. His only comment was his typical grunt. Chuck's head was spinning too fast to interpret that one.
He couldn't do anything about the beautiful CIA agent by talking to this "not so pretty" NSA agent. Sarah would be hungry, too. She might not have the admitted weak-spot for Ellie's cooking, but there was no point in trying to get the failed bribe back to feed his protector for the evening.
"Ok, then. Wish me luck. Well, good night."
When Chuck turned to leave, he heard a parting grunt. That one was dismissive. Considering the situation, in his opinion, any grunt was generous. Wish me luck? That was a stupid thing to say. Why would Casey wish him luck? Chuck wasn't even sure he knew what he wanted to happen. He was just happy that Jill didn't think of him as a loser anymore and that the Federal government hadn't put down stupid rules about them not dating because it would be unprofessional.
He hurried to his car. Like last night, he was driving a Herder for the date. Jill knew he worked at Buy More and thought he was an agent. There was no reason to give her the false impression and make it look like he drove a sports car or correct her misconception that he was an asset, not an agent. He didn't even tell Ellie or Morgan that he had the Intersect. Casey would not be happy if he did. Plus, Chuck also didn't want Jill thinking he was crazy…again.
Behind the wheel of the most enhanced car in the country, Chuck deeply inhaled and exhaled. As he drove off, he was positive tonight would go better than last night.
Sarah settled into traffic, going much slower than she ever did. She wasn't in a hurry to get where she was going. In fact had been dreading this date since the horrible image of the lip-lock at the conference burned into her brain. This wasn't a cover-date between her and Chuck. She liked those. This was Chuck's date with his wish—the woman he had loved for years.
Whenever Sarah thought about it rationally, she knew she couldn't go on a real date with Chuck again. Not only did the dates never work out, but she was Chuck's handler, so she couldn't do that. Even if she could, he deserved better than her.
With Chuck and Jill back together, Sarah still had to do her job, which was to make sure Chuck was safe. That meant following the Herder's tracker. She'd be nearby, in case Chuck signaled for help.
Earlier today, she didn't look at Chuck's calls to figure out where he made a reservation, then show up there first. That's what Casey did. He was acting like a stalker with NSA access. She could've made things easier by simply asking Chuck his plans, but it would be weird to ask her ex-boyfriend where he was taking his new girlfriend out to dinner… not that he was really an ex. She didn't need to do it anyway because she could remain unseen. Unlike her hulking partner, she knew how to be unseen.
BRRRIIINNNGGG. BRRRIIINNNGGG.
Sarah looked at her mounted phone and saw the contact picture of Chuck, with his cute curls, looking back at her. She took the exit that she saw Chuck take a minute before. It couldn't be an emergency because he would've used his watch. Why was he calling her when he was about to pick up his date? Cute. Where did that thought come from?
She answered, "Hi, Chuck."
"Hi, Sarah. Where are you?"
"Is something wrong?"
"No. Casey told me tonight's your night, but I haven't seen your car. There are a lot of sports cars on the highway around here, but I think I'd still notice your Porsche. You're not already at the restaurant, like Casey was, are you?"
She almost argued that she could stay hidden, but she simply answered, "No."
"I figured. You're more subtle. I've been looking for you in my mirrors the entire drive here, but just I realized I'm driving a lo-jacked car. You were going to be on the date, weren't you?"
Sarah wished. A cover-date with Chuck would be so much easier. That wasn't what Chuck wished for on the "shooting star," though. He wished for Jill. Sarah wasn't going to hold Chuck back. Bryce tried to ruin Chuck's life. She wouldn't. "You'll never see me."
"I figured. You're a better spy."
Chuck was quiet for a minute. They were almost to Jill's hotel. Sarah knew him well enough to know he was figuring something out, so she didn't say anything… and she saw he drove by the turn. What was he doing? "You missed the turn," she pointed out. Also, why did he say "were going to be on the date"?
"I know, Sarah. I need to make a call. Bye." He disconnected.
Who was Chuck calling? Sarah pressed an app on her phone to see what Chuck was doing on his phone… He was calling Jill. Sarah would not listen in. That's what her No Secrets Agency partner would do. She simply continued doing what she was supposed to: follow her charge from a distance and make sure he was safe.
His car continued moving. After a minute, she followed Chuck back onto the expressway. He wasn't picking up Jill. He must have canceled the date and was heading home.
Surprisingly, he didn't take the exit for Echo Park. He kept going toward Burbank. Surprising her again, he didn't take the exit for Buy More.
Sarah was familiar with this area because she and Chuck went on cover-lunch-dates in this area a lot. When she saw where Chuck was going, she pulled off into strip-mall parking lot nearby
It was a little tacky, in her opinion. Chuck must be getting Jill food again, but this time they would eat in her room. Sarah was a little disappointed. That place was her and Chuck's. They had been there for lunch probably a dozen times. It's not like they would ever eat there together again, but still… Tacky.
She couldn't help it; her stomach growled. She liked their burgers.
Sarah was definitely not impressed by what Chuck was doing with Jill. A spy dating a spy was hard, a spy dating a civilian was impractical, and a spy dating her asset was unprofessional and against the rules. A spy fake-dating an asset was easier. Fake-dating Chuck was very easy. It didn't even feel fake. Chuck was a civilian dating a civilian. That should be even easier. Taking Jill burgers did not look easy.
After a few minutes, Chuck's car had not moved from its parking spot. He knew she was following. Why did he twist the knife and drag her there?
BRRRIIINNNGGG. BRRRIIINNNGGG.
Sarah was not one to be surprised, but she jumped when her phone rang. It was Chuck's face again.
"What's wrong, Chuck?"
"I'm right outside the door and don't see you in the parking lot. Where are you?"
"I told you that you wouldn't see me on your date."
"I called off the date. You know where I am and can come to the parking lot. See you in a minute. Bye." He hung up.
Of course she knew where he was. He was at their In-N-Out. She didn't understand what was going on, though. She drove a block to see him standing by the side-door, on the sidewalk. He waved and motioned for her to take a parking spot.
When she turned off her car, Chuck walked over, take-out bag and two drinks in-hand. He tapped on the window, so she unlocked the door. "What's going on, Chuck?"
"I come bearing food. Can I join you?"
Chuck got food for her, not Jill. How did her stomach get so lucky? How did she get so lucky? She could have been assigned to seduce and protect a creep. Instead she got someone caring like Chuck. It wasn't someone like Chuck. He was one of a kind. She was lucky and got Chuck.
"Of course you can." When Chuck took the passenger seat, she asked, "Aren't you supposed to be having dinner with your girlfriend? What are you doing with me?"
"That wasn't gonna happen with you watching. I thought you'd be hungry, so I got you food." He put a drink for her in a drink holder between them. "Can we eat here? I don't want to make a mess in your car."
"It's ok. If I have to, I'll get it detailed. Casey enjoys washing the exterior of his car, but due to 'enhancements' we both have to get our cars detailed by the government periodically for maintenance. We also don't want someone to accidentally press the wrong button."
Chuck laughed. "My Herder has an ejection button and self-destruct. I can only imagine what a real spy's car has."
She almost corrected him that Chuck's car had more options than either hers or Casey's, but it wasn't important enough to quibble. The important thing was why Chuck was feeding her, not his girlfriend. "Casey told me you took her through a drive-thru last night. Why didn't you bring Jill here?"
"This is our place. I'll never ever bring her here. That would be weird."
Sarah's stomach did cartwheels. She liked to think of this place as theirs, but they never talked about it. Chuck thought the same thing, and that thinking didn't change after the break-up nor with the return of his college girlfriend.
She couldn't think like that, though. She was just his handler. They had to stop talking like this, so she changed the topic. "What'd you get me?"
Chuck opened the bag and handed her a burger. She felt the excitement within her. Him giving her food wasn't the type of thing to settle her insides. She opened it… "My favorite. A green monster."
"Of course."
Sarah sometimes got something else, but she got the special order with extra pickles almost every time. It wasn't even on the secret menu, but they knew what it was at this place because Chuck and she got it all the time. And Chuck got it for her. She took her first bite and barely held back the moan. It was perfect.
She had started the night thinking that it was going to be a horrible night, but instead, she got dinner with Chuck. It was a great night.
One again, she reminded herself they couldn't be doing this. Chuck got his wish of his dream girl. "What are we doing, Chuck?"
"We're having dinner so we don't go hungry."
"You have a real girlfriend now."
"I do? You think so? Jill was my girlfriend, back at Stanford. That was a long time ago. She ended it. Now, maybe she'll be my girlfriend again. I don't want to assume. We haven't even been on a date."
Sarah countered, "Kind of hard to go on a date when you're here with me."
"I tried to go on a real date with you, but it shouldn't count if it's in a CIA report. Maybe that'll always be the case now that this thing is in my head. Any date will be in reports. Whatever it is, I don't want to take Jill somewhere you and I went on our cover-dates."
She tried to say it wasn't a big deal. "I wasn't a real girlfriend. You shouldn't worry about it."
Chuck put down his burger and reached across to place a hand on her wrist. "I can't help it." They silently stared at each other for a minute. Sarah knew she should break this off, but she didn't want to. They couldn't be a real couple, but she always enjoyed basking in Chuck's gaze. Well, it wasn't exactly "basking" because she acted like a spy and didn't show it, except for the cover in front of an audience, but it always felt like "basking." She wasn't going to get anymore of these moments with Chuck, so she should take that while she could.
She looked down where Chuck had his hand on hers, and he startled, released, and withdrew. She didn't mean for him to do that, but it was for the best. She went back to eating, and Chuck did the same. They weren't "parking" like a couple of high schoolers, so they needed to occupy themselves with something else. Food worked.
It pained her to say so, but she had to say it again. "We can't be doing this type of thing anymore. You and I should—"
Chuck finished for her, "We need to stage a cover-break-up again. I know. Casey told me. I don't want to jinx it with Jill by assuming it's going to last. Could we wait until this thing with Jill makes it a week. For Lou, you and I did the public break-up at Buy More, but she and I lasted no time at all. We had to do it because Lou worked in the plaza and people would know right away. That's not the case this time. Jeff and Lester saw that mission-date with Jill, but that was a fluke, and no one ever believes them. Jill won't be around Morgan and Ellie until I figure out how to let them know, which is a bigger problem in a completely different way. Ellie didn't know it, but your ex was at last Thanksgiving. I don't think this Thanksgiving is the right time to spring the return of my ex. I should make sure Jill's going to last before wrecking another holiday."
Sarah knew she should feel guilty for ruining Chuck's evening with Jill, but it felt so great practically being on a cover-date that she couldn't feel a drop of guilt for tonight. However, she now felt guilty because of her actions last Thanksgiving. Ellie never found out. If she had, she wouldn't have asked Sarah to be a bridesmaid, something Sarah was genuinely looking forward to. She had not looked forward to anything normal like that since she was a teenager. Now was not the time to wreck that.
Sarah didn't know if she'd still be protecting Chuck whenever the wedding happened, but she wasn't being a bridesmaid for a mission. She was doing it for a friend. An agent sometimes has to insinuate herself into the life of a mark. Getting close enough to be a bridesmaid was a great cover. That's not what Sarah was doing this time. She didn't have to do it because she'd be at the wedding anyway as Chuck's date. She was already in Chuck's life as a cover-girlfriend, and he knew who she was. If Chuck was still dating Jill. Sarah would be there as Ellie's friend who was a bridesmaid. Sarah hadn't tricked the other woman to be asked. Ellie asked Sarah as a friend. That had never happened before, and it made Sarah feel wonderful.
Again, the protector reminded herself that Chuck had a new girlfriend. Even if he didn't call it that, for all practical purposes, that's what Jill was. He wanted it to last longer than Lou, but Sarah knew that Jill would have to be an idiot to let Chuck go again. As great as it felt to even be Chuck's cover-girlfriend, she needed to be the voice of reason. "Chuck, we can't do cover-dates like this anymore. I understand you don't think of Jill as your girlfriend…yet...but this is too hard."
"Right. I was presuming—"
"That's not what I meant. We can't be pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend when that isn't going to be true much longer. Casey and I are still responsible for your safety. We'll find a new cover. That should be easier since Jill knows you're working with us. Not why, of course."
"Of course. If I told anyone about the Intersect, they wouldn't believe it. I don't want to scare Jill away with the truth. And I know not to do it anyway."
Chuck downed part of his drink. Sarah found the simplest things that Chuck did like that way too cute. At least after the break-up, they got to be a cover-couple. Not anymore. For the twentieth time since Chuck got in her car, Sarah told herself to stop reminiscing about her time with Chuck.
Fortunately, he had a suggestion. "I know what our cover could be. I always had trouble separating the real thing under the cover from the cover when we were just pretending to be a couple. But we're really friends. Right? Our cover could be as friends. I can handle that because we are really friends. Would that be ok?"
Sarah barely kept herself from frowning. Only being friends with Chuck would be hard. He was too sweet and too cute (and too good of a kisser). Maybe it wasn't a fortunate idea.
Being friends wouldn't be ok anyway. The rule was that handlers couldn't be compromised by their assets or marks. Having sex had nothing to do with it. An agent was never ordered to have sex with a mark because that was a lawsuit waiting to happen, but it was allowed as long as the agent wasn't compromised. The agent could be compromised by a family member or regular friendship, and that would be considered to be as bad as a real boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. The concern was an agent choosing the asset or mark over the mission. That could happen because of family or friendship.
She wasn't about to explain that to Chuck, though. She couldn't not be Chuck's friend. With how Chuck was, he was going to try to be her friend, even if she said it was not ok. He was friends with people like Jeff and Casey. Of course he wanted to be her friend.
Sarah didn't have any normal friends. The closest she had was Carina, a spy, so that wasn't normal. Sarah would be a fool to bypass the chance to be Chuck's friend. She couldn't be his girlfriend, but she couldn't be less than his friend, even as his protector. Chuck wasn't normal, but she hoped he would be her friend. At least he might as long as Chuck never learned who she really was, because she wouldn't wish herself on a friend.
She'd just have to make sure she wasn't compromised with Chuck as a friend. That wasn't much different than before. She'd walk the same "not compromised line," but this one with no wishes.
When they were done eating, Sarah thanked Chuck for the meal. Part of her wanted to give Chuck a cover-kiss, like she had done at the end of all of their cover-dates. Now, even a peck on the cheek would be too much. Tonight, simply eating in the car together was a wonderful surprise, but she didn't dare do anything else.
Chuck seemed to understand…or at least he didn't lean toward her. Sarah wasn't sure she had the willpower to risk an advance from him. He didn't want her anymore, anyway. He got his wish of Jill.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
"Third time's the charm," but the third night in a row was not the right time for Chuck's third attempt at a second first date with Jill. He worked close Saturday night. Afterwards, he was always staying up late for game night with Morgan. Chuck had no idea how to let his buddy know that Jill was back, so he couldn't use her as an excuse to Morgan. It definitely was not the time. Eventually, he needed to also let Ellie know. First, he'd also have to make sure Jill understood not to tell others that he worked for the government.
Earlier that night, he let Jill know the plan for their third attempt, which was not on the third night. Their date wouldn't be a Ferris Wheel…although… While that would be a place Casey couldn't follow too closely, Chuck didn't want to freak himself out like that. Since the Herder was tracked, Chuck would be tracked anywhere he took Jill on a date. He had a better plan this time, so he gave Jill instructions.
Chuck worked close again tomorrow, but it was a Sunday, when they closed early enough for dinner afterwards. She could come to the store right after he locked up, so it would look like he hadn't left. For the date, he would take her someplace where they wouldn't be watched for a picnic. It wasn't as simple as his plan from a couple nights before. Instead, it would be unique, and he hoped she'd realize he was trying to be romantic. Jill thought he was an agent, so it could be fun. With no one following him, he knew he could pull it off.
The past week had been wild, ever since Jill came back into his life. Chuck never saw her coming. When Sarah told him to make a wish on a shooting star (which was really a satellite), Chuck wished to have a future with the woman of his dreams—the love of his life. In his head, he didn't word it more specifically than that. If he had put it into specific words, he would have assumed the love of his life was Sarah and named her. He never thought that woman was Jill, but considering what happened, he was glad he wasn't more specific.
He also was glad he didn't reveal his wish by saying it out loud. Otherwise, he might not have this chance of making it true.
A/N: Jill had to have stuck around a week to get from when the conference would've been to Thanksgiving. The date on the roof of the Buy More at the beginning of "Chuck vs the Fat Lady" wouldn't have been the first try.
MyNameIsJeffNImLost AU stories:
- "The Intersect Couple vs Flashing" (chapter 5-6. "From Anything" and "Double Rancard Un")
- "Chuck & His Roommate vs the Next Mission (chapter 8, "Phase Push Mix Three")