Chapter 16: The Resolution

California, Los Angeles, Echo Park, November 2nd, 2007

Once more, Sarah woke up draped over Chuck's body - but this time, both of them were naked. They hadn't bothered dressing again after… well, after they had hastily stripped each other. She remembered her top getting a tear, and Chuck's t-shirt… Unless it had grown overnight, it was torn in half, she noticed with a glance at where it had landed on the backrest of his chair, covering most of it.

"Morning," she heard him say. He looked as he sounded: Both happy and a little insecure. As if he wasn't quite sure if what they had done would last.

That was Bryce's fault as well. She kept her annoyance at her former lover from her face and smiled at Chuck as she rolled on top of his body, facing him. "Morning, lover."

It was cliche, but the way his face lit up, his smile widened… it was exactly the right thing to say.

And she knew exactly the right thing to do as well.

California, Burbank, Wienerlicious, November 2nd, 2007

"Here," Sarah said as she put down the plate with a hot dog in front of him. "Since we skipped breakfast today." And had been late for work anyway.

"Oh, thanks!"

She flipped the sign on the door to 'closed' before joining him with her own 'breakfast dog'. "Not terribly healthy, I'm sorry."

"It's good," he said between bites.

Well, he was certainly wolfing it down. Of course, she had grilled so many hot dogs, she had improved, On the other hand, if you were hungry, things tended to taste better. Even, as she found out eating her own hot dog, when you were heartily sick of the smell.

"I told the guys that Casey had an accident at home and fell from a ladder," he said.

"Good cover story," she said. "More believable than a grizzly attack."

"The news believes it," he pointed out with a nod towards the muted tv screen in the corner, where some wildlife expert was talking about bears.

"They act as if they believe it because it sells," she replied.

"Well, they wouldn't believe the truth," he said.

She nodded. "Not many would." And those who would probably believed in aliens as well.

He finished his drink - coffee today - and cleared his throat. "So… what's the plan for today?"

"I haven't heard anything yet," she replied. "With Casey in the hospital, we shouldn't get a new mission unless it's urgent, but considering the recent news, and Bryce's presence…" She shrugged.

He grimaced. "Bryce… he won't take this well, will he?"

"No." Quite the contrary, actually, with his jealousy and apparent fixation on Chuck's safety - which he had endangered in the first place. "Although I have an idea about how to avoid him for the weekend."

"Oh?" He leaned forward.

She smiled.

Pacific Ocean, West of Los Angeles, November 2nd, 2007

"You really managed to sell this as a 'familiarisation exercise'?" Chuck asked from the con of the sailing yacht they had rented.

"Not exactly," Sarah admitted. "But the rental fee is small enough to get covered without questions by our budget." There wasn't a strong wind, but that was a good thing since they hadn't much practical experience with sailing between the two of them. Sarah could handle a motor yacht, though, which would let them drive back without sails if needed.

And the lack of strong winds also meant that the temperature was comfortable rather than cool. Not warm enough to wear bathing suits, but they weren't here to swim anyway. Shorts, sneakers and a windbreaker would suffice.

"So, course's set," he said. "I think… The GPS in my spy watch agrees, at least."

"Good." She tied down the line from the foresail and joined him in the small cockpit, hugging him from behind. "We can keep on this course for a while unless the wind turns."

"Unless some tanker or freighter runs into us."

"We will anchor in a marina further south for the night," she told him.

"Ah, good." He nodded, and she felt him relax. "I wasn't really worried, you know, statistically it's not very likely, but…"

"I know," she whispered into his ear. "Let's just enjoy the vacation and forget about the Intersect, demons and Bryce for a while." And about Slayers, of course.

"He tried calling me three times already."

She frowned. "I told him to call me in an emergency." And that she would hurt him if he bothered her without an emergency at hand. If he tracked them down with a boat or helicopter, she'd hurt him. Seriously.

"So, it's not an emergency, then."

"No, it isn't," she replied. "Just him trying to meddle with our lives."

And she wouldn't let him do that. Not any more.

California, Los Angeles, Echo Park, November 4th, 2007

It was already dark when they reached Chuck's home - apparently, the yacht's engine hadn't been quite as fast as advertised. But the CIA would be picking up the tab from the rental agency anyway, so any late fees weren't Sarah or Chuck's problem.

"I've said it before, but: I really loved this, you know," Chuck said as they got out of her car.

She nodded. He had been telling her that - and showing her his appreciation of her idea - quite often during their trip. "You earned it."

"For having a computer in my brain?" She could see him frowning even in the dim light outside his apartment.

"No. For being you. Despite everything."

"Ah." He nodded. "Well, after Sunnydale, that was easy. Sort of."

"The Hellmouth." He didn't talk often about it, but what he had told her… Sarah was glad that they had sailed south, not north from Los Angeles, and avoided the location where the town had disappeared in a sinkhole which then had been flooded by the ocean.

"Yes." He sighed. "Let's not talk about it."

She clamped down on her trained urge to pry. Chuck wasn't a mark. He was her partner.

And her lover.

"So…" He opened the door. "Stay the night?"

"I think so," she said with a grin. She had spent the last three nights with him. She wasn't about to stop now.

Another of his wide and - in her opinion - too infrequent smiles lit up on his face as he switched the lights on.

And then it died when they saw who was sitting on his couch.

Bryce.

"Chuck. Sarah."

"I don't remember telling you to house-sit," Chuck said. Despite his joke, he was tense - Sarah could see his left hand balling into a fist, and his jaw muscles tighten.

Bryce chuckled, once. Then he glared at her. "Did you just waste the government's money on a personal love cruise, or did you finish your assignment to seduce Chuck?"

What the… She clenched her teeth.

"Get out!" Chuck snapped.

"Don't be stupid, Chuck!" Bryce retorted. "They've almost finished rebuilding the Intersect. You're not irreplaceable any more - or won't be, soon enough. But they still need to ensure Fulcrum or anyone else won't get you. Did she ask you to work in Langley? Or was she subtle and just mentioned how she has to work there?"

"I'm not going to work for the CIA, Bryce. Now get out."

He frowned at that. "They won't let you go, Chuck. You know too much. Far too much." He turned to glare at her. "And you know that as well. What's your game?"

"Why are you asking me?" she shot back. "You just claimed you knew it already."

"You're either working for the CIA, or you've been turned and jumping ship - and trying to take Chuck with you. That's probably a condition for protecting you against the agency."

"Enough!" Chuck snapped. "Get out, or I'll tell Caridad that you've been stalking me and she can break your limbs."

"I was on the mark, wasn't I?"

Well, he wasn't entirely wrong. Though Bryce still didn't know the truth behind Chuck's 'friends', so he would misunderstand this. "I'm not betraying the agency," she told him.

"No, just Chuck," he shot back.

Chuck held up his phone. It was dialling.

Bryce left.

Once the door closed, Chuck relaxed with a sigh, then tapped the screen.

"...for Burbank, please press 3…"

He grinned at her. "Do you fancy a midnight pizza?"

She shook her head, laughing.

But she knew Bryce was a serious problem they had to handle sooner rather than later.

California, Burbank, Wienerlicious, November 5th, 2007

"...and if the project proceeds according to schedule, the rebuilding of the Intersect's mainframe will be completed in a week."

Sarah's face didn't betray her emotion as she nodded at the general's words. They had expected this, of course, after Bryce's 'visit' last night, but it still was a sort of a shock to have it confirmed officially - and to know it would happen in a week.

Chuck, of course, wasn't a trained spy. "So, uh… that means a week from now, I'm no longer a crucial intelligence asset, right?"

The general hesitated. "You won't be a unique asset any more, Mr Bartowski. However, you are still a high-level asset and, unlike a computer, you can be deployed in the field. With training, you could become a highly-valued spy."

So that is their pitch, Sarah thought.

"I could become a spy?" Chuck sounded honestly tempted.

"After training," the director cut in.

"And would I keep working with Major Casey and Agent Walker?" Chuck asked. "I mean, we've been working together for quite a while now."

That was a very good question. Sarah watched the general glance at the director on screen. With Casey still in the hospital, it would be the director who'd answer that.

"That seems like a smart arrangement. Until you finish training, you would need protection anyway," he said.

That sounded logical. It was no iron-clad agreement, of course - Sarah knew better than most just how 'flexible' deals could be in the spy business. But it was a good deal and the odds that the agency would keep it were high.

"Ah." Chuck nodded. "We'll have to think about this, of course. But it sounds good."

Sarah almost winced. Neither the general nor the director would have missed what Chuck's slip indicated - even if Bryce hadn't told them already.

"You do that." The general nodded. "And be on your guard - we haven't made much progress in uncovering Fulcrum's network."

"Yes, ma'am," Sarah said.

"Good evening, agents, Mr Bartowski."

The screen turned black.

"You didn't ask about me," Bryce said.

"Yes," Chuck replied. "Fancy that."

Sarah suppressed a grin - Chuck was quite a bit more forceful when dealing with Bryce.

The other agent pressed his lips together. "I see. Think about the offer. You won't get a better one."

"We'll think about it," Sarah told him, smiling when he frowned at her. "Let's go, Chuck?"

"Yes," he replied.

Ten minutes later, they were in her car on the way to Chuck's home.

"So… what do you think?" he asked. "Is it a good deal?"

She took a deep breath before answering. "It's a good deal. There's no guarantee that they'll keep it, of course - but I think they will," she added before he could ask.

"Ah." He cleared his throat. "Does that mean they trust you?"

"No." She kept the slight anger she felt in check. "It simply means they value recruiting you more."

"Will they try to split us up and replace you?"

She didn't have to look at him to know he wasn't just talking about working together. "Probably at some point. It's not certain," she went on, "but without anything changing between the Council and the agency, they will try to insert more dependable agents into your team." They might even try to replace her with a honey trap during Chuck's training.

"Oh." He was looking down at his hands, now.

"What about the Council?" she asked. "Will they offer us a similar deal?"

"Uh… you mean, keep the team together?"

"Yes." Well, her and Chuck at least.

"Yes. The Council's not really… They don't have issues with 'fraternisation'. Well, as long as there's no abuse of power. I've heard rumours about an old Watcher… anyway, they aren't as strict on rules and such as the government. Other than the important rules."

"Important rules?"

"Like: 'don't die'. It's, like, the most important rule of the Council."

"Ah." That sounded quite ominous. But then, Sarah knew a little about fighting demons now, and it made sense.

"So, they wouldn't split us up."

She nodded.

"There's one issue, though," he said.

"Yes?" She glanced at him. He was looking embarrassed.

"The pay won't be as good as the CIA's offer. We also wouldn't have a yachting budget."

"Ah. Just how much money are we talking about?"

He told her. She winced. It wasn't exactly minimum wage, but she was used to earning a much higher salary.

"That's the salary of a new Watcher, according to Morgan. It should be higher for spies and experienced soldiers, I think."

"We'll have to talk to Brown-Smythe," she said. She didn't want to run a hot dog store because she needed the money.

But they had to talk to Casey first.

California, Los Angeles, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, November 6th, 2007

Casey was watching the news when Sarah and Chuck entered his room in the hospital.

"Hi, Casey! How are you doing? Rocking those rehab-exercises? Itching to get back into the fight?" Chuck beamed at the agent, but his smile wilted under the man's glare.

"Walker. You're here because next week, Bartowski will be replaced," he growled.

"I'm not going to be replaced. Just… well…" Chuck sighed. "Sort of?"

Sarah shook her head. "We're here to discuss our options."

Casey snorted. "Quit or get side-lined into some useless, harmless position. Or get 'retired'."

"Retired? Oh, that's a spy term for getting killed, isn't it?" Chuck asked. "Wait! Would they actually do that?"

"Walker, you need to teach your boy toy about the realities of our profession," Casey said.

"Boy toy? I'm older than her - I think. Well, according to your file. They didn't fake your age, did they?"

"Chuck." She gave him a look, and he flinched a little. This wasn't the time to discuss her age or file.

"Sorry."

Casey grunted again.

Sarah took a deep breath. "There's another option," she said.

"Joining the Brits," Casey replied. "Hunting demons."

"Well, the Council's actually led by more American than British citizens, right now," Chuck said.

"Californians," Casey said with a sneer.

"Ronald Reagan was a Californian as well!" Chuck retorted.

"Chuck. Casey. We're here to discuss our option, not politics." Sarah glared at both of them. After a moment, she went on: "Joining the council's an option. It's important work."

"And you could stay with your lover boy," Casey said with another sneer.

"Do you want to guard some retired informant or some backup listening post, or do you want to make a difference?" she asked, ignoring his dig. That she could stay with Chuck wasn't the only or even the main reason she was contemplating this.

"Save the world or save… well, your pension?" Chuck added, not particularly helpfully. "Watchers get pensions as well. I think."

"How many retire?" Casey asked.

"Uh…" Chuck winced. "The numbers are a little skewed right now because of the First Evil bombing the old Council's headquarters and hunting down other Watchers."

"I never planned to die from old age," Casey grumbled.

Of course, he might see it as a challenge. Sarah nodded. "The salary's not exactly competitive."

"Well, that's just the number Morgan was told. You're trained spies, you probably get paid better," Chuck added.

"And anything would be a step up for you," Casey told Chuck with a sneer.

"Hey! We're trying to help you here! No need to be so hostile!" Chuck protested.

Casey didn't quite pout, but he came close. Sarah didn't laugh, of course - that would needlessly antagonise the man. "Do you have a better option?" she asked instead.

His glare told her enough. "You've fought the monster that put me in here as well," he said after a moment. "I don't like to be useless."

"You're not useless!" Chuck exclaimed. "You're not as good as a Slayer, but no one is. Well, apart from Willow; she's a witch."

But that was the point: Casey wouldn't be willing to play second fiddle to anyone in combat. Sarah could understand that very well. Intimately, to be exact.

"Guys… it's… it's like this: You're the infantry, and the Slayers are the air force. Or drones. The guys you call in to kill the bunker after you find it. Or something like that." Chuck looked at her, then at Casey. "Does that make any sense? You don't have penis envy when you look at a predator drone, do you?"

Sarah had to chuckle at that image.

Casey growled, and Chuck took a step back, not quite hiding behind her. "It's just an example!"

"It makes sense," Sarah said. She smiled at the thought that Caridad probably was barely smarter than a smart bomb, too.

Casey's grunt sounded like grudging agreement.

"So, are you on board?" she asked.

"I want to talk to the Watcher first."

She nodded.

"I can call Phil!" Chuck said.

California, Los Angeles, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, November 7th, 2007

"I heard you are interested in joining the Council," Brown-Smythe said after taking a seat. He sounded as if they were in his office instead of Casey's room in the hospital.

"And Chuck as well!" Caridad piped up from where she was leaning against the wall.

"And Sarah," the Watcher added with a nod towards her.

"We're considering the option," Casey said.

"You have to join!" Caridad beamed at the two men.

"They need to make an informed decision, dear."

Caridad ducked her head at Brown-Smythe's correction but didn't lose her smile.

"I gather you have a lot of questions," the man went on.

"Yeah," Casey replied.

Sarah nodded.

"Like the salary," Chuck said brightly. "And, uh, the death rates."

"I'll have to elaborate a little about the history of the Watchers Council for that," Brown-Smythe said. Sarah couldn't tell if the fact that he didn't even flinch at the questions was a good sign or not.

"...and so the casualty rates of Watchers in the field aren't particularly high these days although the force composition changes haven't been in effect for more than four years yet." Brown-Smythe nodded as he finished his explanation.

"With practically everyone partnered with a Slayer, of course the Watchers aren't dying like mayflies!" Caridad summed up her Watcher's slightly lengthy explanation.

"Quite." Brown-Smythe's expression didn't show much approval of the Slayer's levity with regards to Watcher casualty rates.

"Well, Slayers live longer than a few years, tops, as well," Caridad defended herself.

But they had invited the pair to talk about Watchers, not Slayers. "What about the salary?" Sarah knew that the Slayer couldn't afford a car, or so she had claimed.

"In the past, being a Watcher was a calling, not a job," Brown-Smythe replied. Sarah could see a hint of a sneer. "However, most Watchers came from families with both the means and traditions to support them. That, too, has changed, although not as drastically as the number of Slayers has. Therefore, the new Council deemed it necessary to provide both Watchers and Slayers with a stipend that would, while not competitive with other high-risk work, provide for a decent living."

"What's that in dollars," Casey asked.

Brown-Smythe told him.

"That's quite a difference to the number Morgan told me!" Chuck interjected.

"Young Mr Grimes doesn't have the specific skill set of Sarah and Major Casey."

"But he knows a lot about demons!" Chuck retorted.

"There's more to the knowledge a Watcher needs than just demon lore," the Watcher replied. "I expect Mr Grimes to pass the exam soon, despite his continued distraction by video games, but it will be quite some time until he is ready for the field as anything other than an auxiliary."

"Well, we don't know anything about demons, other than how to kill vampires," Casey said.

"But you have extensive experience as spies and impressive fighting abilities."

Casey snorted, but Caridad nodded eagerly. "Yes! Mad skills for a normal human!" She obviously meant it as a compliment, but Sarah, unlike the Slayer, didn't miss how Casey's expression froze for a moment.

"I'm not much good in a fight," Chuck pointed out.

"But you have a database in your head. That would be, at least for the next few years, of great use to the Council's operations. Just the opportunity to be able to uncover spies would be a great boon in certain situations."

"It won't last overly long since I can't exactly update it," Chuck replied.

"I would wager that by the time its usefulness has deteriorated, you will have gained both experience and training in other areas," the Watcher said.

"I guess so." Chuck nodded, but he still looked a little doubtful.

"What about support from the Council?" Casey asked.

"The Council has several highly-skilled strike teams made up of veteran Slayers ready to intervene, should a situation arise that local Watcher and Slayers cannot deal with. Witches are also available for special occasions."

"Willow," Caridad said. She sounded a little too casual, Sarah noticed.

"Among others," Brown-Smythe added. "Suffice to say that I have yet to hear of a situation they couldn't deal with, although there have been cases where a local team was overwhelmed - either because they failed to call for support in time, or because they were killed before they realised the seriousness of the threat."

Sarah glanced at Casey, who met her eyes. Both of them knew what kind of mistakes could be covered up with such clinical language. "What would our mission be?" she asked.

"Probably general support on the West Coast. Melvin has finally been dealt with, but some of his fledgelings might decide to follow his example. And while Sunnydale's Hellmouth has been closed and Wolfram and Hart eradicated, Los Angeles still has a higher demon population than other cities of similar size."

"You could use our help, you mean," Casey summed it up.

"Quite," the Watcher agreed. "The Council focuses on demons trying to end the world, but as Melvin showed, demons starting a criminal enterprise cannot be ignored."

Casey grunted. Sarah asked: "What about benefits?"

"The Council provides full medical coverage - in more civilised countries, that's merely a precaution to allow us to avoid police investigations of suspicious-looking injuries, but in the Colonies, it's somewhat of a necessity, I'm told. It includes dental, of course."

"'Cause Watchers tend to be smacked around," Caridad added, "if they enter combat."

"Occasionally. Keep in mind that Rupert was stationed on a Hellmouth; his experiences are hardly the norm," the Watcher corrected her. "In any case, the Council's planning to implement other services and support, such as therapy, but, so far, they have focused on more urgent fields."

"What about weapons?" Casey asked.

This time, Brown-Smythe winced.

California, Los Angeles, Echo Park, November 7th, 2007

"'A full range of melee weapons'? 'Every blade you would ever want'?" Sarah shook her head as she parked her car. Slayers had some weird priorities, in her opinion.

"Don't you use knives, throwing spikes, and poisoned needles?" Chuck asked.

She gave him a look that told him exactly what she thought of that.

"Sorry," he said. But he was grinning. "Anyway, Slayers love all kinds of weapons, but melee weapons work best for the widest range of demons. And guns tend to attract the wrong kind of attention in many places," he added.

And having them used by teenagers and young adults as well as minorities wouldn't help, Sarah knew. Still… "They have their uses, though."

"Oh, yes. And many Slayers use them. I heard Buffy is very fond of an M60."

And probably uses it like an SMG, Sarah thought. She suppressed the bout of jealousy she felt as she got out of her car and scanned their surroundings. It seemed safe, but she still walked on Chuck's more exposed side until they were in his flat.

"So it seems we will be working together for the Council," she said, sitting down on the couch.

"Yes." Chuck nodded, then sighed. "I feel a little bad about that, actually. Morgan wanted to become a Watcher for years, and now I'm stealing his thunder, so to speak. That'll hurt him."

"If he's been trying to become a Watcher for years, why hasn't he been hired?" she asked. "He's no spy, but he has been hunting vampires with Caridad, hasn't he?"

Chuck sighed again. "He hasn't yet passed the Watcher's exams. And each time he tries, he becomes more nervous. Mixes up demon names, or plain forgets things he should know already. It's a touchy subject."

"Ah." She nodded. "So, there are different tracks in the organisation. People like Brown-Smythe, people like us."

"And librarians, researchers, witches, nurses, trainers and teachers… Morgan wants to be like Phil."

Grimes wanted to work as Caridad's Watcher, in Sarah's opinion. Not very professional, but then, she wasn't in a place where she could throw stones.

"So…" She made a point of looking at the clock on the wall. "Shall we go out, order takeout, or will you demonstrate your skills in the kitchen?"

"Uh…" He grimaced.

"You're not a cook, hm?"

"I would need to go grocery shopping to whip something up that's not frozen pizza, so we might as well order out," Chuck said. "Trust me, takeout pizza is vastly better than frozen pizza."

"A veritable pizza gourmet," she said, chuckling.

"Oh, yes. Morgan and I tested every delivery in the area when we moved in!" He grinned. "I can assure you that I know the best pizza place in Los Angeles!"

"Well, I guess…"

The doorbell interrupted her. She glanced at Chuck as her hand went to her holster.

"Could be Ellie, or Morgan, or Captain Awesome…"

"Chuck? Open, please."

"Or Bryce, I guess," Chuck said with a frown. "Do you think he'll go away if we pretend we don't hear him?"

Sarah closed her eyes. "Better let him in."

"It might be important? Perhaps we have an emergency?" Chuck looked alarmed.

"He'd have called in that case. No, but I think dismissing him in person is more effective." She could hurt him that way if she had to. Or felt like it.

"Alright." Chuck nodded and opened the door.

"Sarah!" Bryce stormed in, then glared at her. "You and Chuck talked about vampires and demons… are you feeding his delusions?"

"Did you bug his apartment?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? He isn't supposed to do that, is he?" Chuck sounded indignant, and with good reason.

But Bryce ignored them. "At Stanford, he was very into games - roleplaying and adventure games. For a time, he even thought magic was real. He got better, though."

No, she thought, he simply put up an act. "Chuck's not delusional," she said.

"I'm really not delusional!"

"What?" Bryce stared at her. "He's talking about vampires and demons!"

"Yes." She curtly nodded.

"What… You don't believe that!" He shook his head. "You're playing along. This 'Council' wants him, and you're helping them!"

"I'm not delusional!" Chuck all but yelled. But while his anger was understandable - Bryce was pretty much ignoring him - it wasn't helping.

"And we can prove it," Sarah said.

"Hah! Prove the existence of demons?" Bryce sneered. "Perhaps real spellcasting as well, huh?"

"No, we don't have a witch on call," Chuck said. "But we can show you demons." Even though calling Brown-Smythe so shortly after having met him would be a little weird.

Bryce laughed into their faces.

California, Los Angeles, Caritas, November 7th, 2007

Bryce wasn't laughing any more. Not at all.

"But… but…"

He was closer to catatonic, actually, Sarah noticed.

"This can't be."

"Mate," the bartender in Caritas said - though Sarah couldn't tell where its voice was coming from, "I have customers to serve. Can you please release my tentacle now? I've done the song and dance for you, but I'm not getting paid for serving as a demonstration."

"But…"

"I told you, I wasn't delusional!" Chuck chimed in. "Demons are real and they are a threat!"

"Some of us are a threat," the bartender claimed. "But most of us are just trying to get by!"

"Hah!" Caridad sneered. "'Most of us'? You kidding?"

"But… this can't be."

Most of the bar was staring at them, and the tentacle demon was looking increasingly nervous while Bryce still was shaking his head and trying to deny what he was seeing - it was pretty much going as Sarah had expected.

And she was quite enjoying it.

California, Los Angeles, Echo Park, November 7th, 2007

"I'm sorry, Chuck. You were right, and I didn't believe you."

Bryce apologising. Sarah would have to mark the day in the calendar.

Chuck didn't seem impressed, though. "Yes. Now you know."

"But you want to fight demons?" Bryce asked.

"I've been fighting demons since I was in high school!" Chuck snapped.

"What?"

"Why do you think I know the Council? Or Caridad?" Chuck glared at his former friend. "Morgan and I have been helping them for years!"

He was embellishing things a little, but Sarah couldn't fault him for that. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders as she leaned into him on the couch. "See? It wasn't me trying to recruit him by seduction, but the other way around."

"What?" Bryce repeated himself.

"Uh…" Chuck, unfortunately, wasn't as quick on the uptake as he should have been.

Sarah sighed as she shook her head. "That was a joke. But we're planning to join the Council once the Intersect has been restored."

"They can use the help, and they can tell the CIA to take a hike," Chuck explained. "They are behind the order to back off from investigating Caridad, for example."

"What?"

"The Council's got quite the influence with the US government," Sarah elaborated. "After the current leadership had to save an illegal black ops base in Sunnydale from demons six years ago."

"What?"

That was getting too repetitive. But then, Bryce's world had just been shattered.

Sarah had taken the same revelations much better, though.

California, Burbank, Wienerlicious, November 8th, 2007

Sarah had flipped the sign on the door to 'closed' and grabbed Chuck's usual cola before she saw him leave the Buy More. Her smile faded, though, when she saw that Grimes was following him. This was their break. A time to spend together.

At least Chuck looked appropriately guilty as he entered. "Hi, Sarah."

"...but you're not taking the exam? Why? Oh, hi, Sarah."

Or he was feeling guilty because Grimes had heard about their plans. Sarah glared at Chuck for good measure as she replied: "Good morning."

Chuck flinched at her tone and mouthed 'sorry' as she set down his cola.

"I'll have a Sprite!" Grimes said. "Anyway, why aren't you taking the exam?"

She glared at him, but he didn't even notice. She had her revenge when she slammed the bottle on the table, startling him.

"Uh… as I was saying, Morgan, I'm not going to become a Watcher like you. I'm going to help Sarah and Casey."

"You're going to be a spy?" Grimes seemed surprised, even though this was quite obvious, ion Sarah's opinion.

"Support," she clarified. "At least at the start," she added upon seeing Chuck's expression.

"Oh." He opened his bottle. and the soda sprayed all over him. "Ew!"

"Sorry," Sarah told him with a toothy smile.

"Anyway," Chuck said, clearing his throat, "we'll stay in Los Angeles."

"Of course you will!" Grimes exclaimed. "Still… you'll be a Watcher before me."

"A spy working for the Council," Chuck corrected him.

"Still a Watcher," Grimes insisted.

Sarah was tempted to tell him to spend less time playing video games and study harder, but Chuck wouldn't appreciate that - Grimes was his best friend, as annoying as the man could be.

But she expected him to make up for wasting their break on dealing with Grimes' hurt ego.

California, Burbank, Wienerlicious, November 13th, 2007

"A government project meeting the deadline? Well, almost meeting? That must be a first!"

Sarah smiled at Chuck's joke, though Casey, fresh out of the hospital growled. The agent was in a bad mood, had been for a week.

"Sorry, just making conversation while we wait."

"Don't."

"Shutting up now."

Fortunately, the screen in the base lit up before Chuck made another comment. "Agents, Mr Bartowski," General Beckman greeted them. "Agent Bryce and the director are observing the Intersect as it is brought online," she told them. "Which means your current mission ends."

"Yes, ma'am," Casey said.

"And that means we will have to discuss your plans for the future, Mr Bartowski," the general went on. "Did you consider my proposal?"

"Ah, yes," Chuck replied. "Spy training, right?" He nodded without waiting for her answer.

"Yes."

"Well, we've been talking, and…" Chuck trailed off when the general turned her head and stared at something to her side. Sarah could see her gasp and felt her stomach drop. This couldn't be good. Beckman was a veteran. If she was shocked…

"I am afraid we need to cut this conversation short," Beckman said. "Someone just bombed the Intersect."

Sarah gasped herself.

The director was dead. Bryce was dead. Both killed in the explosion that destroyed the rebuilt Intersect.

Sarah shook her head as she stared at the black screen in front of them. She still didn't want to believe it. The director had been the one to recruit her. Take her under his wing. Believed in her - believed that she was more than just a con artist. And Bryce… for all his faults, he had been a good agent and a good friend.

Both dead. The Intersect destroyed. She felt Chuck's arm wrap around her shoulder and took a deep breath. She was a spy - she could handle this.

"Fulcrum must have penetrated the CIA far more thoroughly than we assumed," Casey growled.

"And the NSA," she shot back. Taking cheap shots at the agency, would he?

He grunted in response, then added: "That means Bartowski is, again, the only Intersect."

And Casey, Chuck and Sarah were among the few agents that could be trusted, despite their 'ties' to the Council.

"Uh…" Chuck started.

"We can't quit now," she told him. "They need us. All of us." And they would avenge the director and Bryce.

"Ah." He didn't protest. Neither did Casey, of course. "So… we keep doing what we've been doing?" Chuck asked.

She nodded, embracing him. "With a few changes," she added in a whisper.

The CIA would just have to accept that.

California, Los Angeles, Echo Park, November 15th, 2007

"You're moving in?" Ellie blinked and stopped spreading butter over her toast. "I thought you had a long-term lease."

"I managed to find someone to take it over," Sarah said, "and the bank accepted them."

"Great!" Devon said, beaming at her and Chuck.

"That's great, Chuck!" Ellie chimed in.

"Ah, yes," Chuck said, blushing a little. "We thought it was time to take the next step, you know?"

Sarah nodded in agreement. The general hadn't had any choice but to approve it. Not after the bombing. Thinking of the attack still hurt - but they would get back at Fulcrum.

And she was looking forward to living with Chuck without living a lie.

...to be continued in 'The Burbank Station'