A/N: The response to this story continues to surprise me. Thank you if you're one of the readers who has left a review.

Some reviewers don't see how Bryce is thinking about Chuck's safety and welfare as much as his own. Try to remember that this is an AU Chuck story and these aren't canon Bryce, Chuck and Sarah. Some characteristics and behaviors will be similar, or even the same, but not all.


Caribbean Retreat

Chapter 4


Bryce stormed over to the two of them glaring at Chuck. "You know that no one from the CIA should see you! And you know she's the worst of them!"

His words pissed her off, but before she could say anything, Chuck reacted. He stood and angrily snapped back, "I suspect she was the best of them, better than you were." She saw Bryce wince. "Anyway, she's not with them anymore!" he growled.

Bryce took a step back at the forcefulness of his friend.

Sarah was surprised at Chuck defending her. She didn't need him to do that, as she could easily do it herself, but it felt good. It made her appreciate him more than she already did.

She nearly placed a hand on his arm to both calm him and to say thanks, but then thought how Bryce would react. She didn't want him any more upset with Chuck.

She turned to the angry man. "I've had enough, Bryce," she said softly.

She didn't clarify things anymore. Had she raised her voice, that could've meant his tirade, but she knew Bryce would understand she was feeding off Chuck's last comment.

He stared at her for a while, then his eyes narrowed. "You were always the best at lying."

She forced herself not to react to that. "Yes, I am skilled at lying. I've done it all my life. That doesn't mean I lie all the time." She leaned toward him. "Any more than you do."

He looked offended, but couldn't deny that he did lie. He'd done it as an agent and he probably still did it.

She decided to shift the topic off of her and sat back. "Chuck has been telling me how you saved him," she said. "Quite the hero."

He looked surprised to hear her say that, and just stared at her in silence.

Having put him off-balance, she shifted back to the original topic. "As Chuck said, I'm not here as a CIA operative. As I've already told you, Bryce, I'm on vacation, but I'm also on six-months' leave to 'help me decide my future'."

He snorted. "Did Graham offer you a desk job, and you're thinking you'll miss the field work?"

"No," she said calmly. "I want out, he wants me to stay and wants me to reconsider."

"Out? You?" He seemed genuinely doubtful.

She glared at him. "You're judging me on how I was back then. People change."

He laughed at that. "You can't change! You've always been an agent."

"You claim to have changed," she reminded him, while trying to stay calm.

"That's different. I couldn't continue." He paused and then added, "I was wounded."

She replied, in a quiet tone, "Wounds aren't all physical."

That shut him up and because Sarah didn't have more to say, Chuck filled the gap, "Sarah's now my friend and I'm going to see more of her."

Internally, Sarah found herself disappointed at hearing the word 'friend' but it was true. They weren't more than that.

Bryce twisted Chuck's words. "You're not like that!" He seemed to imply 'seeing more of her' meant something else entirely.

Chuck got angry. "That's not what I meant!"

'Why do I wish it was?' she thought.

"Good, but you can't trust her!" Bryce exclaimed.

She was going to react this time, but Chuck got in first again, and angrily said, "Because you don't? Well, keep that to yourself! Today has been the best day of my life, thanks to Sarah. I'm not pushing her away."

The best day of his life! So, it wasn't just her. She turned to Chuck and said, "Thanks, Chuck. My best day, too." She deliberately leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. She wanted Bryce to see it. She wondered if it should've been a kiss on his lips.

Then, she left them and headed back to her hotel room, not wanting any more of Bryce Larkin.

As she walked away, she heard Chuck say, "Thanks! You've sent her away now, spoiling it for both of us!"

He was partly right. Right now, their time had been spoiled, but that didn't mean the whole day was.

She turned and called out, "Before he arrived, it was perfect, Chuck." It really had been. His smile appeared. She blew him a kiss, then swiftly turned and hurried out.


Chuck looked back at his friend and partner. "I know you're frightened of her, Bryce, but she was lovely today. I think we both needed the day we had."

"I'm not frightened of her!" Bryce replied quickly.

Chuck gave him a look that said, 'Really?'

Bryce blushed. "Ok, yes I am, but with good reason. She's deadly."

"And she wants to get away from all of that."

Bryce huffed, clearly not believing it.

It wasn't Chuck's tale to tell, but he wasn't going to let Bryce stop him from seeing her, or to stop her coming here. He started with that. "Bryce, she'll come here to eat and you'll be civil with her."

Bryce glared at him. "I was last night."

"And you will continue to?"

Bryce sighed. "I don't trust her, Chuck."

Chuck decided to tell him one thing. "She was worried that you were still with the CIA and here to spy on her."

"Oh, come on! She saw me limping about."

"And you never put on an act like that?" Chuck asked. That silenced him. He obviously had. "Please be nice to her, Bryce. It's important to me."

Bryce looked at his friend for a few moments and obviously saw that what he said was true. He sighed and nodded.

"And I'll be spending time with her," Chuck said next.

"Falling for her will be as bad as falling for Jill," Bryce replied.

It was Chuck's turn to sigh. "I know I'll be upset when she leaves, but I've never felt so alive as I have with her today. Avoiding her while she's here would make me so miserable."

Bryce looked at him, evaluating him. "You've already fallen for her, haven't you?"

Chuck knew he had, but he wasn't going to fully agree. "Maybe I'm starting to."

Bryce put a hand on his shoulder. "It's times like this that I wish Ellie was here."

Chuck swallowed. "Me, too." He'd talk to her about his feelings. "I'm going to call her later."

"Good idea," Bryce replied, holding his gaze for a while, and then headed for the stairs to his room above the café.

Chuck knew that a video call with his sister was the best he could do. Seeing her in person would be better. He could then hug her as well, but this would help. Ellie was always full of good advice.


Chuck went to his room and called his sister. It was a complicated routing which they had perfected over their time apart, and it was automatic now. She and her family lived in Chicago, so time zone issues didn't occur. An evening call worked well.

"Hello, stranger," Ellie said once she saw her brother.

She'd never seemed to age, and looked just the same as he'd remembered her. There was one difference in the image before him, though. "Hello, Clara!" he called out to the baby sitting on her mother's lap.

Clara stared at this person appearing on her mother's phone. She didn't recognize him, but that wasn't surprising, she was less than six months old.

"I'm obviously happy to see you, Chuck, I miss you so much, but this isn't one of our scheduled calls, so what's up?" she asked.

"Someone from Bryce's past has come here," he said.

She looked instantly worried and called Devon to take their daughter.

Devon appeared briefly on the screen. "Hi, Chuckster."

"Hi, Captain."

Devon took the little girl and moved out of view.

"Talk to me," Ellie demanded.

"Bryce had a partner for a while after Stanford," he said.

"God, I remember him griping about her. Can't remember the name, though."

"Sarah Walker," he said.

Ellie nodded. "She was the only person who frightened him, wasn't she?"

"Yeah. Well, she turned up at the café," he said.

"Oh my god, Chuck! So, they've tracked you down? Are you both on the run again?" She obviously thought for a second. "Hold on. That looks like your room, so obviously not the latter. What's happening?"

She was spiraling, a family trait. "Calm down," he said. "She wasn't after me."

Ellie shifted her concern. "So, she's tracked Bryce down? Is he ok?"

"She isn't after either of us. She's on vacation."

Ellie just looked confused for a moment, then asked, "So, why call me?"

"Bryce is still nervous about her," he replied. "Whereas I'm… ok with her."

Ellie narrowed her eyes. "I never saw pictures of her. Is she pretty?"

How did she get to that so quickly? He sighed. "Probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

She sighed as well. "And you've fallen for her?"

"Big time," he admitted.

"And you're calling me because you've not sure what to do?"

He nodded. "Bryce and I have the perfect partnership. He's the best partner I could possibly have. He's worried. For both of us."

"I would normally go with whatever he thinks you should do, but I know his thoughts turn dark when he thinks about this woman." She stops for a moment and he waits to see what else she's going to say. "I can't help you with this one, Chuck. If I was with you and met her, I might be able to, but if she's as good a liar as he used to say she was, she'd probably fool me."

He couldn't think that. "El, you're judging her already."

She stopped him there. "No!" Her snapping at him like that shut him up. "I'm saying I can't tell from here and may not be able to if I was there. She may be the best thing to enter your life, but she may destroy you."

"Destroy me?" He asked in surprise. "Why d'you say that, of all things."

"If she's CIA, she might take you in." She saw him react. "That's what Bryce is worried about, isn't it? And I am, too."

"I don't believe she is," he said.

"Ok. Let's say she's for real. How long is she with you?" He winced. He didn't know. She rolled her eyes. "So, she might leave at a moment's notice."

He said nothing. She softly said, "Chuck, when you suffered a woman leaving before, you never got over it."

He knew she was right. "So, should I just give up any hope of happiness? On the off chance that she walks?"

"Oh god! I don't know! You'll have to talk to her!"

His sister was right. He'd have to do that to know if he had any chance with Sarah Walker. "Thanks, El."

"Let me know what you decide." He noticed she didn't say how it went.

"Love you, El."

"Love you, Chuck." She blew him a kiss which made him think of Sarah.

He had to get out. He needed to think.


Sarah felt like screaming.

It really had been wonderful being with Chuck all day.

She'd enjoyed talking to him on the beach, and then they'd gone in the water together and had more fun than she'd ever had before.

Being with him in the café, even though they were dressed so casually, had felt like a date, even though the topics of conversation hadn't been date-worthy. At least, not until the end.

It had gotten intimate at the end. She was sure he was going to kiss her and she really wanted that, but it hadn't happened because of Bryce Larkin!

Her life had been full of disappointments, so she shouldn't have been surprised that something good hadn't happened.

All her previous thoughts about a relationship with him not being viable were dismissed now.

It wasn't something she did, but the urge to go to Chuck later was strong. It wasn't going to happen, though. For one thing, she didn't know where he slept. Knowing her luck, she'd enter Bryce's bedroom! Ugh!

She had to see more of Chuck, though. It was now an imperative! She chuckled at herself. The cold, hard agent, now desperate for time with a man. Not sexual, necessarily, although she hadn't for a long, long time. However, she craved time with Chuck Bartowski, the man who could make her smile. Laugh, too.

Surely Chuck could leave Bryce to make coffee during the morning and spend time with her.

She decided to go back and ask him which day they were closed.


The café door was locked when she got there, but it only took seconds to pick the lock.

Once she was in, she realized it was the same as coming here at night. She had no idea where Chuck would be.

She looked in the kitchen but he wasn't there. He'd obviously cleaned up after cooking the pizza. She took a quick look in the refrigerator. Seeing a container with pizza slices in it, she remembered him saying she could take some. She grabbed the container and left, being careful to lock up again.

After taking the pizza to her room, she remembered Chuck's spot on the beach. Although she had a sea view, she couldn't see where they'd been earlier. Palm trees blocked that from her sight.

She headed out again, full of hope.

As she stepped onto the beach she looked for Chuck.

She hadn't realized just how secluded the spot they'd occupied was. The palm trees extended onto the beach between where she was and that location. She had to walk around them to be able to see it.

Chuck was sitting in virtually the same spot as before. He was looking out to sea. His whole appearance seemed melancholic, as if their day hadn't happened at all.

She was glad now to have come out looking for him. The thought of him being sad upset her. She rushed to him as fast as the soft sand would allow.

Chuck must have heard her, because he looked away from the water and toward her.

Her heart sang as the sad expression he'd definitely had disappeared. It was replaced by a happy smile as he stood up and started toward her.

When they met, she had no hesitation. She grabbed his neck and pulled him into a kiss. She had to stand on tiptoes because of his height. She was sure that the kiss in the café would've been soft and gentle, but this was a hard kiss. A needy kiss. But, oh, his lips were made for kissing!

They stood there and kissed for as long as they could, only stopping to breathe, but then kissing again. Her heart was beating so fast, she was sure he must hear it.

They eventually separated and she dropped to her heels, somewhat breathless. "My god, Chuck! Your kisses are magic!"

His breathless, dazed look morphed into an overwhelmed but happy one. "Yours, too."

"We were going to kiss in the café, weren't we?" she asked, but suddenly felt unsure.

"I'd hoped we would," he replied and she felt relieved.

"Oh, I was so ready! I needed a kiss from you!"

He laughed. "Well, that was several!"

She grinned. "It was, wasn't it! And I want more, but I wanted to talk to you, as well."

He led them back to his towel which they shared.

"What d'you want to talk about?" he asked, then he joked, "This doesn't feel like one of those horrendous 'we need to talk' moments."

She laughed. "Quite the opposite! I want to see more of you. Every day, in fact." His happy face on hearing that was worth the words alone. "Can you get Bryce to make coffee, or whatever, during the day and you come out here with me?"

His beaming grin excited her. "It won't be for long, either morning or afternoon, as I have to prepare for lunch and dinner, but that's an excellent idea. Less time in the morning because after he brings meat, fish and fresh vegetables, I have to plan the meals for lunch and dinner. Oh, and we also close on Sundays."

She knew her eyes must've lit up. "So, I can have you all day on a Sunday?"

He snorted. "Interesting way of saying that."

She frowned and thought about what she'd said, and then she dipped her head and gazed at him through her lashes, "And why d'you think that, Chuck?" She emphasized the 'k' in his name.

He gulped. "You don't need to seduce me, Sarah," he replied.

She was just teasing, but now regretted it. "Sorry, Chuck. I was joking around." She held his gaze and honestly said, "I'm not like that."

He touched her arm and said, "I'm sure it would be the best experience in my life, but it's too soon, don't you think?"

She didn't, but she wasn't going to argue. "So, when d'you think we'll be able to see each other next?"

"I'll have to warm him up to the idea, so it'll be tomorrow afternoon at the earliest." He looked at her. "Do you have a phone with you?"

She had her CIA phone and her personal one for which the Company didn't know the number. "I have, but it may not work here. I've not tried it."

"I can make sure it does," he said confidently.

She cocked her head. "Are you some kind of techno nerd?"

He grinned. "Yup. Have you got it here?"

"No, it's in my case. I wasn't expecting to use it while I'm on the island."

He stood and held out his hand. "Let's go, then."

She took his hand and stood. "Are you inviting yourself up to my bedroom?"

He flushed, and she laughed. "Gotcha!" she said, pointing a finger at him.

He narrowed his eyes. "I will just accept whatever you do to me when you get me into your lair."

She pretended to look shocked, but she was actually pleased with his comeback. "Good one!"

"Is that what'll happen?" he asked.

She playfully slapped his arm. "It would be the best of your life."

"I'm sure of that," he replied.

She had to get off this topic or it definitely would happen when they got to her room. "Come and fix my phone, nerd." She stood and grabbed his hand, pulling him up.

He had to quickly bend down and grab his towel before she started pulling him toward the hotel.


Chuck easily adjusted her phone so that he could contact her and obviously, she could also contact him.

She was amazed when he handed her phone back to her, saying that there was no signal on her standard network, but now it would work on the island. "We'll obviously need each other's numbers."

She hesitated for a second. He expected her to say it out loud, but she surprised him by handing her phone back. "You put it in."

He couldn't help looking at her address book very briefly before putting in his details. There were only two names in there, Mom and Carina. He didn't comment.

She was going to send him a message so that he had her number, but he stopped her and handed her his.

She smiled. "We're so trusting. I had to fight with my old spy self before I let you have my phone."

"But then, this is your personal phone. You might have behaved differently if it was your CIA one, full of numbers I should never see."

She smirked. "Numbers and names you would never want to see."

"True."

She entered his address book and deliberately looked at the names. She grinned. "Almost as few names as on my phone."

"I removed the names of people I would never contact again. It's too painful to see them. So, just Bryce, my dad and my sister. Oh, and her husband."

"That's Awesome?"

He grinned. "I used to call Ellie's husband Captain Awesome because everything he does is awesome."

She placed a hand on his arm as she handed the phone back. "Sorry you don't get to see them anymore."

"Well, you don't see your mom, either."

"No," she replied and said no more.

Sharing phone numbers felt like a significant step, although nowhere near as significant as them kissing on the beach.

The kiss they shared as he left her hotel room was tender. Neither risked it becoming more because of where they were. To Chuck, her bed looked so inviting and he felt its pull as much as it looked like she did.

As he walked back home, he couldn't believe what had happened so quickly. He'd met the woman of Bryce's fears and instead of running for the hills, he'd spent the day with her, and fallen for her in the process. And then, the kisses!

God, he knew it'd been a long time since he'd kissed a woman, but it was so much more than that. Her lips felt so soft and he could've just kept kissing them, even before they opened their mouths and took the kisses further. And amazingly she'd enjoyed kissing him! In fact, Sarah seemed as enamored with him as he was with her, crazy though that was!

He hadn't asked her how long she was staying on the island, and wasn't sure he wanted to know. He'd just take it day by day and enjoy being with her as much as he could before she left.


A/N: Yes, I know. They're kissing already! Well, this is partly a romance.

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