A/N: This one-shot came to me early one morning and I had to capture it immediately. Set in 2005. Chuck sees a beautiful blonde on what she expects to be the worst day of her life, and he is pulled into what happens. Totally AU.
No betas on this, so please PM me if you spot any corrections that need to be made.
Chuck vs Paris 2005
This was the city of his dreams. He'd always planned to come here. It was everything he'd expected. Beautiful and romantic. And the sights, well, they'd exceeded his expectations. the river cruise had been grea,. Notre Dame was stunning, and the Eiffel Tower had him enraptured, from the construction all the way up the to view from the top. Magnifique.
but it wasn't just the city itself that captured his dreams. Today, he'd seen a girl who he was sure would fill them for years. She was breathtakingly beautiful. He'd never seen anyone so gorgeous, which was surprising when he worked in Burbank. her long blonde hair caught his eye first, but then her graceful movements did, too. When he saw her face, he thought he was in love. He chuckled at himself at that thought. He'd fallen in love with Jill pretty damn auickly in college, but not at just a glance.
Out of character, after his initial freeze, he'd followed the girl as she walked down the street. He would never normally do anything like that, but he just felt drawn to her and couldn't resist. It was evening and growing darker by the minute, so he hoped that would mean she wouldn't spot him. She was walking purposefully and he had to walk quickly to keep up, albeit at a safe distance.
He was saddened when she suddenly stopped at a crossroads. She was obviously waiting for someone. He wasn't the one she would be waiting for. That was the story of his life. He reluctantly walked away.
Distracted by his thoughts, he bumped into another woman as she walked away from two men. He briefly noticed that she looked upset and then dismissed her from his thoughts, but she obviously wasn't focused on what she was doing, moving quickly, and barged right into him. He fell to the ground from the impact.
His time really took a turn for the worst when the woman reached into her handbag and pulled out a handgun
of some sort.
He hastily shifted back, still on his bottom, and then raised his hands.
She was leveling her gun at him. The anger in her eyes couldn't just be from him bumping into her, could it?
The thought was pointless. She was going to kill him. Maybe she thought he was associated with whatever had upset her, but it didn't matter. Death was death.
As her finger closed on the trigger, a red patch appeared on her chest. The gun lowered as she fell back. Her finger squeezed the trigger and the bullet hit the ground a foot from Chuck's left leg.
He just sat there in shock. What had just happened?
A cool hand grasped one of his. He was pulled up and he looked into the eyes of the beauty he had been following.
"We have to run," she demanded. She pulled him with her as she set off.
He lost track of where they were as she pulled him down twists and turns through the streets of the city, and he had no idea where they were going. He suspected that she was trying to get away from the men he'd seen, but there was no chance of asking.
He was breathless in no time. It wasn't that they were going too fast. Not much more than a fast walk, in fact. It was a combination of what had nearly happened (his death), what had happened (the woman's death), who had saved him (the woman clasping his hand) and how breathtakingly beautiful she was.
They finally ran into a cheap hotel, rushed to the elevator, rose to the third floor, rushed again, along the corridor, and then she pulled him into the room she'd stopped at.
She gave him a quick kiss and then sat on the end of the bed and looked as breathless as he felt. He slumped into the only chair, touching his lips where she'd kissed him.
She grabbed a phone from her pocket and made a call. "It's done, but she pulled her gun on me first."
Her voice drew him in as much as everything else about her. She looked up at him. He felt like he was being assessed.
"No. No one saw it," she said.
Chuck wasn't sure why she said that, if she meant the shooting. Maybe she just didn't want to mention him.
"However, she'd just left two men before it happened, so they may have heard," she added.
Fear gripped Chuck's heart. He was now convinced that those men were after her, maybe after both of them.
"I will," she responded to the person on the other end of the line.
She ended the call and just looked at Chuck.
"Thank you for saving me," he said.
She stared at him for a few moments, then nodded.
She seemed to be taking stock of what had happened. He didn't want her to feel bad about it. He fell back on his usual when in an awkward situation. Humor. "Do you often save strangers like that?"
She didn't react as he expected. No smile. No frown. Just a bleak look.
"I don't think I could have done it if you hadn't been there," she said quietly. So quietly that he almost didn't catch it.
He frowned. "You wouldn't have had to." After all, she only shot the other woman to save
him.
She didn't reply, just looked at him. After a minute of that silence, he was getting uncomfortable and was going to say something, but she spoke instead. "You're from California."
He nodded. "LA, born and bred."
"Here on business?"
"No. I'm on vacation. I've always wanted to come to Paris." Then he thought about what had happened. He looked down. "It's lost its appeal now."
She grunted in agreement. "We have to leave," she said.
"Leave?" He wasn't sure what she meant. "You think you might be found here? D'you want to come and hide at my hotel?"
She sighed. "No. I mean we both need to leave Paris."
He certainly wasn't expecting that. He looked at her confused, so she explained. "Those men will probably have seen you and will be after you."
He hadn't thought about anything like that. "But I'm just an innocent person passing by." He knew his voice had raised in pitch as he said that.
"Who she pulled a gun on and was then shot," Sarah reminded him.
"You think I'm in danger?" he asked, shaken to his core.
She hesitated for a moment, then, "Yes." She paused again, letting him take that in. "My flight to DC is in a few hours. You have to leave too, as I won't be here to protect you."
He gulped. "My ticket is to LA and not for another week."
She held his gaze. "That's too long to stay. Besides, I want you close so that I can protect you."
"Why?"
His question wasn't answered. She hesitated, but then answered. "In a way you saved me tonight."
He was going to ask how he'd done that, but she spoke again. "You should book on the flight I'm on."
She showed him her booking details on her phone. He noticed her name, Sarah Walker.
She grabbed her laptop, booted it up, logged in and pushed it to him.
He flushed. "I- I don't have the money for that."
She frowned. "How did you afford to come to Paris?"
He frowned back, not really wanting to admit this. "I won it."
She swore, but said, "I'll pay for the ticket."
He knew that he was probably safer with her. She seemed used to this, although how that was the case was puzzling. She seemed the same age as he was.
He pushed those thoughts out of his head. "I shouldn't, but I might be able to get a seat on your flight without either of us paying." He held her gaze. "Just not legally."
She was quick. A smile slowly appeared on her face. In spite of the danger that they were both now in, he couldn't help seeing how her smile made her even more beautiful. "You're a hacker."
He suddenly realized that he had no idea who she was. What if she was in law enforcement? He might be handing himself over to the people he'd hacked. "I- I…" He really didn't know how to continue.
She placed a hand on his arm. "I'm not going to arrest you, even though I work for the CIA."
"You do?" She seemed too young for that, but her reaction to his surprise was strange. Her lips tightened and she just nodded and turned away.
It took her a minute to say anything else. She was clearly undecided about saying more. Maybe that was him second guessing. However, as she seemed to be closing down on him, he didn't push for more information. "Get on that flight," she said. "Do you have your passport on you?"
"No, it's in my room."
She looked frustrated and stood up. "Then, we'll go and get that, along with your essentials."
He frowned. "Essentials?"
She looked back at him. "You can't take any more than hand luggage. Waiting at baggage reclaim is not an option."
He was appalled at that suggestion. "But-"
She snapped at him, "Is it more important than your life?"
He sat and stared at her for a moment, forgetting her beauty as fear started to take over his mind.
He used her laptop to get booked on her flight.
He also took the time to hack into the street camera system and made sure there were no recordings of either of them where the woman was shot. Sarah was surprised but very pleased with that.
When they got to his hotel, they first had to get past reception without being seen. Chuck just followed Sarah's lead. She'd been amazing all the way here, after all.
The loss of pictures from the camera that pointed down the hallway to his room would draw attention. The black spray over the lens was clearly not a malfunction.
He tried to stay calm as he filled his backpack with the only items he'd take with him. He had to take his laptop, as well as the power cable for that and for his phone. Then it was toiletries, and the few clothes that would fit in the remaining space.
Sarah was watching him throughout. When he finished and hoisted the backpack onto his shoulders, she grabbed the water that housekeeping had left for him and tossed it into his hands.
"Come on then," she said.
They left as quietly as they'd arrived.
Chuck had to smother his desire to check out at reception. However, he was all paid up, so they just left the room key on the bed.
He hadn't realized it, but she'd grabbed his baseball cap on the way out of his room. Before they left the hotel, she insisted that he wear it, and keep his head down as they caught a taxi and then walked through the airport beside her.
The other thing that happened at that time surprised him. A black wig appeared in her hands just before she scrunched her blonde hair up and put the wig on.
She'd looked at him after that, and said, "Do I need to adjust it at all?"
He'd looked at her. "No. You look as beautiful with black hair as with blonde." He suddenly felt he shouldn't have said that to a killer. He didn't want her objecting to a comment like that, thinking he was being too forward.
He needn't have worried. She beamed at him. "Thanks."
When they reached the airport, they got through security and into departures without any problems.
They then sat away from everyone else and he tried to calm down. Everything had been happening at such a pace up until now.
He asked the question that felt most pressing, even though it was probably the least important. "Why'd you kiss me?"
She visibly had to decide what to tell him. Was it going to be a lie?
"She was a rogue agent," Sarah finally said. "I was sent to dispatch her."
That didn't answer his question, but a new one appeared in his head. "You mean kill her?"
She winced, but continued. "It's a test to prove that you will obediently follow orders. Terminating someone is probably the most extreme order."
His jaw dropped. "They expect you to just do that?"
She looked at him, seemingly searching his face, before replying, "Yes."
"Well, you did shoot her and saved my life," he said.
"I couldn't just pull my gun out and shoot someone in cold blood," she quietly told him. "And I might've died if I'd have frozen. However, she pulled her gun on you and I reacted instinctively."
"You saved my life," he said.
She smiled. "I did that without any hesitation, Chuck. So, you see that you bumping into her saved me." Her smile grew. "So, that's why I kissed you. To say thanks."
"I must try to save you again," he said, only half-jokingly. "I've not been kissed for a very long time."
She cocked her head with a curious look on her face. "I don't know why. Your lips on mine felt great."
He moved closer and planted a kiss on her lips. It was a longer kiss than the previous one. He half expected her to push him away, but she didn't.
When he pulled back, she smiled and the fingers of her right hand moved to her lips. She then said, "Yes. You're good at kissing, Chuck."
"So are you, my savior."
That brought them back to the reality of their situation. She quickly scanned the area, obviously checking for threats.
"What's going to happen when we reach DC?" he asked.
"We'll get a taxi to my apartment," she replied.
He just stared at her. A smile reappeared on her face. God, she's so beautiful when she smiles.
"We won't continue the kissing and I'm not taking you to my bed," she said. "I've got a couch you can sleep on."
The part of him that his sister brought up was relieved, but another part thought, 'Damn!'
He obviously didn't hide his expression well and she burst out laughing and had to cover her mouth.
He smiled sheepishly and said, "Sorry. I am human."
She gave him a peck on his lips. "No problem, Chuck. It was a nice compliment, even if unintended."
They boarded the plane.
His hacking had gotten him sitting in the empty seat next to her. They walked on, hand in hand, like a loving couple. Her cool hand in his hot sweaty one. He felt bad about that, but she didn't complain.
When they sat, she gave him another peck on the lips. For the cover story, obviously. He tried to just react as a boyfriend would, but that got him thinking.
He knew she was a killer. He'd seen her shoot someone. He also knew she worked for the CIA and was way out of his league, but the thought of her actually being his girlfriend lodged in his head and wouldn't leave.
Sarah didn't help the situation, sitting next to him, still holding his hand. She even leaned into him and fell asleep with her head against his shoulder.
He closed his eyes when they took off and drifted off to sleep himself, and into dreams of her being his girlfriend for real.
They arrived at Dulles airport and quickly got through the airport. Sarah seemed to be able to get them through and out to a taxi far quicker than he would've expected.
The taxi got them to her apartment half-an-hour later.
She looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry it's probably quite dusty. I'm rarely here." It wasn't dusty, but it was quite barren. It didn't feel like anyone lived there.
"I'll pop out and get some food before I head to Langley to see my boss," she said.
"You don't have to do that," he said. "I can go."
She stood in front of him. "No, you can't. I don't know how safe that would be. You stay here."
He hadn't thought it would be like this once they were in the States. "I'll feel like a prisoner."
She placed a hand against his cheek. "Please do this for me. I'd only worry otherwise." She looked like she really cared for him.
He nodded his acceptance.
She wasn't gone for long and then the items were quickly put away, either in cupboards or the refrigerator.
"Hopefully, I won't be long," she said before leaving again. "Then, we can work out what to do."
He wasn't sure what she meant but didn't get a chance to ask before she was gone.
He made coffee and sat on her couch to wait for her.
As Chuck sat waiting. He compared what two people of about the same age had achieved with their lives. Of course, what he imagined Sarah had done was pure speculation. She'd not told him about anything apart from what she was doing in Paris. However, for her to be a spy, flying around the world completing missions, she'd achieved so much more than him. He'd been thrown out of college and then just festered in the Buy More.
He really needed to get off of his backside and find a job worthy of his talent. Make something of himself. He would do that when he got home.
If he got home.
If…
What if he never managed to return to Los Angeles? What if he had to stay in hiding?
He was sure that Sarah would soon be off saving the world somewhere. He couldn't realistically tag along, although that sounded nice.
That made him think of their kisses. He wasn't joking when he said her kisses were great. He remembered kissing Jill and had never enjoyed them as much as those few short kisses with Sarah. She was also more beautiful than Jill.
He had to push those thoughts away. Sarah had been grateful and had kissed him to both to thank him and then to make it appear as though they were boyfriend and girlfriend. He was allowing himself to imagine that they were. They weren't and never would be. Stop fantasizing!
He thought about having another coffee. He'd finished the last an hour ago.
Other than consuming food or drink, there was nothing else to do in this apartment. No television or DVDs to watch, no radio to listen to, and nothing to read. He didn't feel like getting his laptop out, so he'd just been sitting, drinking and thinking.
He stood up and started to walk through to the kitchen when he heard the door being unlocked. At first, he panicked.
What if it wasn't Sarah? But he was too slow to hide.
Sarah Walker walked in, looking downcast.
He immediately reacted to her expression. "Are you ok? Can I do anything for you?"
Her eyes rose and locked with his. She almost smiled, and shook her head. "Nothing you can do, Chuck, but thanks for asking."
She placed her car keys in the dish on the surface by the door, and dropped her handbag to the floor.
"Coffee?" he asked, determined to do something for her.
She gave him a smile and nodded, then slumped down on the couch beside the spot where he'd been sitting.
He quickly went to make them both their drinks.
When he brought the coffee back, she'd put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. He put hers down on the table in front of her, and then sat beside her.
"I wish I could do something," he quietly said.
She straightened up and looked at him. "Thank you, Chuck. You're the only good thing that's happened in the last twenty-four hours."
That comment made him pleased to have been involved, although it was also a sad thing to hear.
"Says the woman who saved my life," he said to bring her thoughts back to what actually happened.
She smiled sadly. "I'm being serious."
"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" he asked, not sure that she would.
She sat in thought for a while. He realized that she did that a lot. She wasn't a talker and considered her words carefully before opening her mouth. "I'm out," she said.
That didn't tell him much. "Out?"
"Out of the CIA. I refused to take another Red Test, admitted that I wouldn't be able to terminate anyone, and was told that meant I'd never become a full CIA operative. I'd just do simple logistical tasks. I didn't want that, so I'm out."
He wasn't sure what to say to that and slipped into his usual conciliatory mode. "I'm sure you'd be successful in anything you did."
She looked at him curiously. "What makes you think that?"
"The way you reacted to the changed situation so quickly. You took control of it. You took an ignorant and helpless civilian, and protected him. Saved him. Even got him to safety in a different country. You were pretty amazing, Sarah Walker."
Her smile had appeared and grew as he spoke. "An ignorant and helpless civilian? The hacking you did was pretty amazing, Chuck Bartowski."
He tried to ignore that. "So, what're you gonna do now?"
She sighed. "Well, I can't stay here. This place is owned by the CIA."
He tentatively suggested something. "How about moving to LA? That is, if you think it'd be safe."
Her smile grew again. "Are you inviting me to join you over there?"
The thought of getting to know her better was irresistible. "You might find something you want to do there. Maybe find someone who could help."
She beamed at him and placed her hand on his wrist. "I've already found him."
He had to be careful not to get too excited. "I'll help as much as I can, but I'm pretty insignificant, really."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Not to me, my savior."
He had to be honest with her and said in a subdued tone of voice, "I really want to get back to LA and my sister, and I'd love for you to come, if you think that's safe."
She nodded. "I think we'd both be safer over there, away from DC. Away from Langley."
That was a relief. He smiled. "I'd like to help you over there." He decided not to hide anything. "And I'd really like to be your friend." He wasn't going to admit his growing feelings for her. That was stupid when they hardly knew each other.
She clasped his hand in both of hers. "You're probably my only friend right now, Chuck."
Those ocean blue eyes staring into his eyes were mesmerizing.
He had to talk about something else or he'd disappear down the 'feelings' rabbit hole. "You've inspired me, Sarah. I'm going to get out of the rut I've been in for the last two years and find a better job, so we'll be looking together."
She pondered that for a moment or two. "You know, with your skills and mine, we might make a good pair of detectives."
It was too much to make such leaps of faith, but the idea of working with her definitely appealed.
"Let's get there first," he replied. "Then see what we can both do."
She agreed and pulled him into a hug. God, he wanted more of those! Maybe he'd get them in LA if he helped her.
A/N: I know there's more to this story, but I'm halting it there for now.
Please drop me a review to let me know what you think of this one-shot. I'd really appreciate it.