CHUCK VS. THE SUPER SPY

SUMMARY: Chuck suddenly finds himself adored and pursued by many beautiful girls. What's going on? That's what Sarah and everyone else want to know.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own "Chuck."

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CHAPTER 11 – Finishing Touches

Sarah looked into the Castle cell where Chuck had escorted Megan to after their date. Megan sat on the bench leaning back against the wall with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. Sarah studied her, pondering the whole evening while trying to determine if the woman was actually asleep.

"Can I help you Agent Walker?" Megan said with her eyes still closed.

Sarah did not reply as she continued to study the woman. Megan eventually opened her eyes and looked curiously at the CIA agent. "Is there something you want from me Agent Walker?" Megan persisted.

"I'm just wondering why you changed your mind. You seemed so…determined," Sarah said.

"About what?"

"Forcing Agent Carmichael to sleep with you."

Megan's eyes fell and she looked a little sad. She remained quiet for a while and seemed deep in thought about how to answer. Sarah wondered if she would answer but the woman finally did speak.

"Well…Agent Carmichael turned out to be…he seemed to think…." Megan paused for a moment and then raised her head to look directly at Sarah. "Let's just say that there turned out to be a lot more to Agent Carmichael than even I ever imagined. And that he put me and my feelings ahead of everything."

Sarah was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he told me that…." She stopped speaking and then seemed angry. "You want to know something? It's none of your business!" she snapped and then turned away. But then she immediately turned back and glared at Sarah. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned. "Just why are you so interested in what happened between me and Agent Carmichael?" she asked.

Sarah said nothing and willed her face and expression to remain neutral as Megan studied her intently. "Are you in love with Agent Carmichael?" Megan asked. She gazed at Sarah who still remained impassive and said nothing.

When no answer came, Megan huffed dismissively and shook her head.

"Well…can't say that I blame you if you are Agent Walker," she said. "I couldn't blame any woman for feeling that way. Agent Carmichael, he's …." She stopped and smiled and appeared to stare off into a distance. "I read what case files I could and asked around and tried to find something, anything about him when I worked at the CIA. I saw this incredible agent, this magnificent man…this hero.

"He was so…inspiring. I have always wanted to be a writer. I wrote a lot of fan fiction but I had never had anything officially published. When I came across Agent Carmichael, writing stories about him just seemed so natural, so right for me. And what I wrote were the best stories that I had ever done. So I got my books printed up and then started trying to promote them and sell them. And all through that, from the moment I first found out about him, I wanted to meet him for real. And you know what? After meeting and talking to him, I now know that his files and what people had heard did nothing to tell me about the real agent Carmichael, the real person. He really is a great guy."

Megan's smile then turned into a frown as she looked back at Sarah. "If you are in love with him, I hope you realize that," she said. Then she turned away and said nothing more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah wandered back to the Castle's main area and found Chuck waiting for her. He had changed out of his suit and back into casual clothes. "Think we could go home now?" he asked. "I'm really beat. This spy stuff is tiring."

Sarah nodded. Chuck looked at her, concerned. "Are you OK? Is something wrong?" he asked.

Wrong? There are lots of things wrong, Sarah thought. You necking with and doing who knows what else with Megan in the back seat of the car. You buying her flowers. You smiling at her with that smile that I thought was mine. You taking off her panty hose like you did. You taking her to our beach. You being so enthusiastic and nice and so…Chuck with her.

All of that ran through her mind. "I'm fine," she said. And then she added, "Just glad this is all over."

Chuck smiled and nodded. "I'll second that. And it all turned out OK, didn't it?"

He was smiling at her…with that smile, her smile. That was the smile that he gave to her when seeing her and only her. The smile that focused totally and completely on her, the smile that silently conveyed so much of what was unsaid between them…her smile. But he had used that very same smile on Megan. And it bothered her.

As did all of those other things that she had seen him do tonight….

"It did turn out OK," Sarah agreed. Then she frowned and added, "But it could have been a disaster with all of the risks that you took."

"What?"

"You shouldn't have done all of those things you did tonight Chuck. They were too risky. You could have gotten hurt or kidnapped," she said.

He looked puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"You were out of line. And you overdid it. This was not a date or something to enjoy. Letting your guard down like that was dangerous and foolish. Not only for you but also for Casey and me."

Chuck now looked angry. "Well excuse me for not following the CIA seduction textbook. I haven't had the privilege of reading or even seeing it. But I thought the objective was to get her to shut down that website. And I accomplished that."

A voice in the back of her mind told her to stop, to not go any further. But everything that happened tonight and all of those things that he did with Megan still bothered her. She couldn't stop.

"By taking unnecessary risks, by going off by yourself with that woman, by putting yourself in vulnerable positions and situations with her, by straying away from my protection and Casey's protection," she rattled off. Her mind kept telling her to quit. But she was on a roll and she couldn't stop as she felt it all coming out of her. "Yes, the objective was to get her to shut down the website but without endangering you or anyone else. Your safety is far too important to risk just so that you can cop some feels."

Chuck looked in shock at all she said. He stared at her silently for a moment as if questioning who was this person standing in front of him? He finally let out a breath and shook his head. Then he faced Sarah with an angry look on his face.

"You weren't the one who was facing life in a bunker. You weren't the one who was going to lose whatever normal life he had left. You weren't the one who could have possibly never again seen his family, his friends, and the woman he loves again. But I was. So I would have done anything to avoid that," he said.

He then looked at Sarah intently. He seemed about to say something else but clamped his mouth shut. Then he abruptly turned away from her, muttered "I'll go stay in the car!" and marched up the stairs and out the Castle door.

Sarah stood there, saying nothing. She couldn't. She was surprised and shocked. Out of all that he had said to her, the only thing she could now hear, think and feel were four words: "the woman he loves."

Chuck loves me, she thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah turned off the blow dryer and shook her hair. It had felt good to shower. She put the blow dryer in the bathroom drawer and stared at herself in the mirror and thought about what to do next.

The car ride with Chuck from the Castle to her hotel had been a silent trip. The first words spoken since their argument had been Chuck's declaration that he was going to shower immediately after they had stepped into her room. After Chuck had showered, it had been her turn. She was glad he had showered. That woman's perfume was all over him. She had to smell it on him after the date, when they were in the Castle, during the car ride back to her hotel, in the elevator, and in the hotel room. As soon as he got in the shower, she marched into that bathroom, gathered up all of his clothes that reeked of the perfume, deposited them in the laundry hamper and put fresh clothes in the bathroom for him to wear. It was a relief to have that smell off of him.

Sarah stared intently at herself in the mirror.

James Bond on steroids.

Let's just say that there turned out to be a lot more to Agent Carmichael than I ever imagined. And that he also had a lot more consideration for me and my feelings than I thought he would.

I saw this incredible agent, this magnificent man…this hero. After meeting and talking to him, I now know that his files and what people had heard did nothing to tell me about the real agent Carmichael, the real person. He really is a great guy."

The woman he loves.

How many times had she taken Chuck for granted, not realized what a real hero and what a great guy he is? Megan and those other analysts just looked at his files, just looked at Chuck on paper. And what did they see? Sarah thought. He's been right in front of your eyes for all of this time. And what did you see? What did you see?

"Chuck is in love with you," Sarah saw herself say in the mirror.

She has suspected – no, she had known that for some time. But she had never said it out loud because – why hadn't she ever admitted that to herself?

"And you're in love with Chuck," Sarah saw herself say in the mirror.

She had known that for some time now too. And she had never said that out loud either. And why not? she wondered. Was she afraid? Afraid of what? Afraid that it may not work out? Afraid that they may separate the two of them? Afraid that loving Chuck may actually make her happy?

Megan is right. Chuck is a great guy! He's in love with you. And you're in love with him, Sarah thought. So are you going to do something about it? Or are you just going to stand by and let another Lou or Jill or Captain Parker try to steal him?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah stepped out of the bathroom. The room was dark and Chuck was in bed. She walked over to her side of the bed and looked at him, apparently sleeping on his side with his back turned to her. But he wasn't asleep. She knew him too well to know when he was actually asleep or not. She pulled down the covers on her side and slipped in.

She moved over to him, spooned herself against his back, wrapped one arm and one leg around him and pressed her head against his shoulder and neck. At first he stiffened. But Sarah stayed where she was, enjoying the feel and smell of him and waiting for him to relax. Eventually he did and leaned back against her and placed his arm on hers.

She kept pressed against him. "Can we talk?" she asked softly.

Chuck pulled away from her, turned over and looked at her. "You want to talk?" he asked incredulously.

She almost smiled at his reaction. She couldn't blame him for being so surprised. How often had she ever talked to him – really talked to him? How often had she ever really talked to anyone? She nodded in answer to his question and leaned into him. She felt his arms wrap around her and pull her into another embrace. She was glad to be in his arms, to be back near him. She was content to stay in his embrace for the rest of the night. She let herself enjoy the moment for a little while longer before speaking.

"I now know how it feels," she said quietly.

"How what feels?" he asked.

"To see and hear…." She paused. As always, expressing her feelings was not a strong point for her. But she needed to say this, to get it out so that he would know why she acted like she did earlier at the Castle. She let out a breath as she lowered her head against his chest, right under his chin. And she kept it there as she continued. "To see and hear someone flirting, making out and trying to seduce someone else. To have to stand there and watch them do all that. And that someone is someone that you…you care about…care about a great deal."

Chuck didn't say anything immediately after she stopped. He tightened his arms around her a little more. "Well, I got a taste of the other side, meaning being the one who has to do that flirting and stuff. And that isn't easy either. In fact, it's really hard. It really wears on you."

They were both silent after that. Then Sarah clutched him more tightly and tried to get closer to him, to feel more of him. "I'm sorry for those things I said earlier," she said quietly. "You didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve that at all."

His arms squeezed her gently and his lips kissed the top of her head. "It's OK. This has been a tough case for everyone. At least it's finally over," he said.

They both got quiet again as they lay there in each other's arms. Then Sarah asked the question that had been on her mind all night.

"How did you it?" she asked.

"Do what?" he replied.

"How did you convince her to shut down the website and turn over all the copies of the books without sleeping with her? She seemed pretty intent on that. How did you do it?" she asked.

Part of her didn't want to know. Knowing the answer frightened her a little. Had he promised Megan something else instead?

"Well, there were several things that helped. And one thing was that Megan is a very romantic person. Hence her not wanting to have sex with me," Chuck explained.

Sarah looked up at him with disbelief. "Chuck, don't be ridiculous. Yes she did want to have sex with you. So much so that she was willing to force you, to blackmail you…make you do something that you didn't want to do."

"Correction. She wanted to make love with me not have sex with me. Megan wasn't looking for or hoping for sex. She was looking for and hoping for love and romance," he said.

Puzzlement formed on Sarah's face. Chuck continued, not waiting for to say anything.

"I read those books that she wrote. They weren't really adventures or mysteries or espionage novels. They were more romances. I could tell that whoever wrote them had a very romantic sense. At least I thought the writer did. So I didn't have to seduce Megan, I had to romance her. And that was kind of hard and I felt guilty about doing that, pretending to be interested in her romantically," he explained.

"You sure did a good job," Sarah muttered.

Chuck looked at her. "Okkkkaaayyyy. Anyway, as I was saying, Megan is a romantic person. So that's where the cameras helped."

Sarah looked at him, puzzled again, "What?"

Chuck nodded. "Yeah, you could say that I owe it all to the cameras for surveillance on me."

Sarah still didn't understand and looked quizzically at Chuck.

"Megan, being the romantic person that she is, wouldn't want to have cameras recording her and me doing, uh, making…well, you know. All during the night, I was trying to be as romantic as possible. That was really important. I had to make it look like that I not only wanted to be with her but I wanted things to be romantic and special. And after doing that, I talked to her about the cameras while we were on the beach. I told her about them and asked her if she wanted a recording of us in the CIA database, on the internet and floating around for everybody and anyone to see. I asked her if she wanted photographs and images of us made from that recording or even someone making copies of the recording and selling them like a porn film. Now I know that the CIA wouldn't do that with the recordings. At least I hope they wouldn't. I just had to make her think that they or someone would or that something like that could happen. And then I asked her if she wanted that done to that special moment between us. I was gambling that she wouldn't. And she didn't. That was the last thing that she wanted."

Sarah couldn't believe it. Chuck solved the whole problem once again without the Intersect or any agent techniques. He solved it by…well, by just being Chuck.

"That's why you did all of those nice things for her. You were trying to be as romantic as possible to her and make it as romantic as possible for her. And then when she found out about the cameras…." She trailed off, not finishing.

Chuck looked at her, perplexed. "You really didn't think I was seriously interested in her, did you? You really didn't think any of that was real for me, did you?"

Yes, she thought. But out loud she said nothing as she tried again to avoid looking at him. She tried to think of something to change the subject. And then something else occurred to her.

"What were you and Beckman talking about after the date?" she asked.

"Oh, I was just trying to convince the general to not put Megan in prison. I had told Megan that I would do what I could to help her out and keep her out of jail," he answered.

"Chuck!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Sarah, I realize that she endangered the Intersect project. But exactly what crime did Megan commit here? She didn't expose any secrets. She didn't and doesn't even know anything about the Intersect. She didn't steal anything. She didn't kill anyone. She wrote some spy romance-adventures based on me – or what she thought was me. She was just a fan, someone whose hobby has taken over their life. I've seen hundreds of people like that at Comic-Con. She's not a bad person. She…well, she just needs a life. I talked to Beckman and tried to convince her to hire Megan back as an analyst."

"Chuck! I was not concerned about the Intersect. I am concerned about you. She tried to force you into doing something that you didn't want to do. There's something dangerously wrong with someone like that!"

"I know that. But I don't think that deep down, Megan is a bad person. And I know that she kind of has a screw loose. But I think if she gets some help then maybe…."

"And what did Beckman say?" Sarah asked.

"She said that the other analysts had already talked to her about it. It turns out that Megan was one of the best analysts they had. They want her back. And Beckman seemed willing to consider it. However, they're first going to make sure that Megan knows that she's hanging on by a thread here. They're going to put her in a minimum security prison for about a month and then they'll approach her about getting a second chance and coming back to the CIA. She'll also have to undergo psychiatric treatments. That way, she can see that she better not blow it, otherwise it's back to jail."

"And that's what you talked about with Beckman in private?"

Chuck nodded. "So…case closed and…." And then he looked at her with a sly grin.

"What?" Sarah questioned.

Chuck looked proud of himself for a moment. "You believed all of those romantic things I did! Hey, I'm really good at seduction!" he declared.

Sarah punched him in the shoulder.

"Owwwww!"

"It was not a game or a contest Agent Carmichael!" Sarah reprimanded.

"I know that but…well…I hadn't ever done that and…uhhhhh…I wanted to do…well, I thought…oh, never mind," he sputtered. He rubbed his shoulder and then grumbled, "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

"Yes I did. Being proud or bragging about being good at seducing another woman is not the way to get on the good side of the woman you love," Sarah explained.

Chuck stared at her. "What did you say?"

Sarah smiled and stroked his hair with one hand. Then she stroked his face and then trailed down to his chest. "The woman you love, remember? You said earlier at the Castle that you were going to be separated from the woman you love," she whispered as she continued her stroking.

Chuck looked at her with disbelief for a moment. He wasn't used to her being so forthcoming. She knew that. But she resolved to get him used to that. After all, they were going to be spending a lot of time together in the next few days. And well beyond that, Sarah resolved.

"Oh…well…how nice…I mean…." Chuck rambled. Sarah moved closer, wrapped her arms around him and silenced him with a kiss. After the kiss ended, they lay there, still embraced. Chuck grinned.

"And you just assumed that I was talking about you when I said the woman I love, right?"

"WHAT?" Sarah shouted. She pushed him over onto his back, straddled him, pinned his arms above his head and affixed him with a deadly glare.

"Kidding! Kidding! Kidding!" Chuck blurted out with a grin and chuckled. "I was just kidding! I was just kidding!"

"You better have been!" Sarah declared, still pinning him down on the bed.

"Well come on! Don't you think I deserved to get a shot in? After all, you've never let me know how you feel." He grinned at her again. "And you still haven't told me," he added.

"Told you what?"

"Well, you know I'm in love with you. But what about you? What about how you feel?" he said.

She leaned down and kissed him, hard. Then she pulled back slightly and looked directly into his eyes. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he said right back.

She kissed him again and started pulling at his shirt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was difficult to think clearly much less talk. All Sarah could manage was to try to catch her breath while a flood of emotions – love, happiness, pleasure, giddiness, satisfaction, ecstasy and so much more – raced through her mind. Eventually and finally, she managed one coherent thought: Wow!

Making love with Chuck had been…Wow! That's all she could think right now. Wow!

Chuck leaned over toward Sarah, looking concerned. "Are you OK?" he asked as he gently stroked her hair and her face.

Sarah grasped him and kissed him fervently. Wow! she thought again.

"Are you OK?" Chuck repeated after they stopped kissing.

She nodded emphatically. And then she wrapped her arms tightly around him and kissed him some more. And as she did, she realized that once again, she had vastly underestimated Chuck Bartowski.

Definitely keep those brunettes away from him, she resolved as she continued kissing Chuck.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah sighed as she filled the bins of frozen yogurt at the Orange Orange. It was five days since they had wrapped up the Megan Robinson case as she, Chuck and Casey had referred to it. Chuck was back at the BuyMore and things seemed normal. In the past two days, a couple of girls had appeared looking for Charles Meyerson. But Chuck had handled them easily and quickly. So things really were getting back to normal.

Actually, better than normal, Sarah thought with a smile on her face. Being in a real relationship with Chuck was great. They were both a little worried about Casey and Beckman finding out. But they were both willing to do anything to stay together. So we can both handle whatever comes our way, Sarah thought confidently.

The intercom on her watch buzzed.

"Walker! Get over now! Hurry!" Casey demanded.

"What is it? Is Chuck all right?"

"Just get over here! Now!"

Were a bunch of those girls back? Sarah wondered as she quickly locked up the Orange Orange and ran to the BuyMore. Casey met her at the door the second she ran into the store. He gripped one of her arms.

"You have to stop this Walker! Do not allow this to happen!" he demanded.

Sarah looked at him. He actually looked worried. "Casey, what is going on?" She quickly looked at the Nerd Herd station. Empty. "Where's Chuck?"

"That's why I called you Walker. You have to stop it!"

"Stop what? Where is Chuck? Is he all right?"

"No, he's not all right. You have to stop this!"

Sarah, instantly concerned, looked all over the store. "Casey, where is Chuck? Tell me right now!"

"There, over there!" Casey said, pointing to the right. Sarah finally saw Chuck. A customer was standing in front of him, almost blocking him from view. What was going on? Sarah wondered. Chuck appeared to be fine, just helping a customer.

"Is that someone he flashed on?" she asked.

"No! Walker, don't you recognize who that is he's talking to?"

Sarah looked again. It was woman, a tall brunette, she thought with some annoyance. The woman's back was turned to Sarah and she couldn't see her face.

"Walker! What are you waiting for? Get over there and mark your turf!"

Sarah looked at Casey in shock. Casey was worried about some woman possibly flirting with Chuck? Usually she was the one to get upset about that. What was going on? She looked again at the woman and then she recognized her. She looked completely different without her uniform.

"Captain Parker," Sarah said out loud with some annoyance.

"Yes! Now get over there Walker and stop this! The geek absolutely, positively must not start dating that woman!" he urged.

Sarah stopped and looked at the NSA agent. He really did not like Captain Parker and he was really worried that Chuck would start a relationship with her. This has possibilities, Sarah thought.

"Casey, Chuck is tired of having a fake relationship. I'm just his pretend girl friend. He wants something real, something normal. We shouldn't interfere," she said.

"Oh come on Walker! Chuck is hooked on you and will roll over and play dead at a snap of your fingers. Do not let him date that!"

"So you want me to compromise myself with Chuck?"

"Walker! You know and I know that's what you want and that's what he wants." He cast a wary eye toward Chuck and Captain Parker. Chuck laughed at something the woman said.

"Please Walker. Not her," he muttered.

"I may have to go beyond normal means here Casey. It may not be easy. You know how much Chuck wants a normal life with a normal relationship. I don't think it would be right to interfere with Chuck's chances for a real girl friend unless I was really serious," she noted.

"Whatever you have to do, please, do it!"

"And then you'll report me to Beckman and get a 49B enacted?"

"No, no, no! I swear Walker. I won't!"

"If I do this, you won't report me or interfere or keep us apart?" Sarah asked.

"You have my word Walker. As long as it doesn't interfere with our work, I'll always look the other way," Casey promised.

"Your word? You swear?" she persisted.

"You have my word, Walker."

"OK Casey. I'll take care of it," Sarah said as she headed toward Chuck.

"Thank God! The combination of that woman and Bartowski would be too much," Casey grumbled.

Don't worry Casey, Captain Parker and any other woman won't be getting him, Sarah thought as she marched toward Chuck. He's mine and I have no intention of ever giving him up.

The End

NOTE: I got the idea for this story after reading LeeCan's "Sarah Vs. The Missing Asset." In one part of that story, Sarah discovers that Chuck has quite the fan base in the CIA's analyst department wondering who this "James Bond on steroids" is that is accomplishing all of these incredible things. I thought "What if one of those analysts was so enamored with 'Agent Carmichael' that she started a website and wrote some novels based on him and that resulted in Chuck getting a lot of unwanted attention? It might be fun!" So I contacted LeeCan who graciously allowed me to use that idea for a story. Thank you again to LeeCan!

ANOTHER NOTE: And with the end of this story, it's time to say "Thank you!" I hope you enjoyed reading this story. And thank you so much for reviewing. This story set a new personal record for me for the total number of reviews. And in case you're interested, I am working on another Chuck story. I just started, so it may be a while before I start posting chapters.

AND ANOTHER NOTE: I've often expressed my wishes and hopes that some Chuck fan fiction writers would finish the stories that they started and not leave us there wondering how it ended. And with that in mind, has anyone ever thought of starting a poll in which Chuck fan fiction fans could go and nominate and vote on the Chuck stories that they'd most like to see finished? I don't know how to do polls on this site. Is there anyone out there who would be willing to try to set this up?