A/N: This is my first story on this site and the first story I have wrote since like grade 8 ( I'm in grade 12, do the math). I have always been interested in the characters of Chuck and Sarah and if they would have met a different way, a normal way. Sarah isn't in much of this chapter, this is mostly a set up but trust me this is very much their story. This story came to me by listening to Beach Comber by Real Estate, I strongly reccomend giving it a listen, especially when the song starts in the story. Enjoy it, if this is your sort of thing.


The bar was dimly lit as they casually strode in. The friends met up at the back where people had started to gather as the band that was set to play later tonight was setting up their equipment. The shortest of the group, who also had the most impressive beard of the posse headed to the bar "I got this round, watch was my stuff." Morgan said as he put down his jacket and bee lined it to the bar. Chuck gave a look to the jacket then a once over to the entire area. They had come late as cabs were hard to come by on the weekend, so the room was at a much more drunken and chatty state then Chuck or his friends were at. "This better be worth it." Chuck's tired friend Chris exclaimed, nodding towards the band holding their current place on stage.

Chuck just nodded as he wasn't interested in the annoyed mood of his friend. He looked over at Chris who was bitterly listening to his girlfriend explain something to him. They had been fighting for a couple of days over some inane comment and Chuck being neutral with both of them, heard all sides. It wasn't that he didn't care for his friends. He looked as he saw Jen take Chris's hand and tugging it in comfort, forgiveness in her eyes. Chuck just didn't get how they could take it for granted. Yes, they had their ups and downs, but they were in love. They fought and did stuff that people in love do, everything was full of passion. At least they had passion, Chuck wanted to yell at them. He was in his mid twenties and had only experienced heartbreak. He bitterly thought back on his last escapades with the word as he rolled up the sleeves to his denim button up and patted down his fitted black jeans. Chuck knew his last failing relationship wasn't exactly his fault, sleeping with a co-worker wasn't something he told her to do. Chuck thought he loved Jill, he thought she loved him too. After he saw what he saw, he started to analyze himself in ways that he never thought he would have to do again after grade school. It took a lot of time to get over the betrayal to come to terms that it wasn't his fault but the trust issues have never left him. But Chuck was happy for his friends, he smiled a little as they kissed, a peace offering. Chuck missed that, he wanted that. Morgan walked back with his beers balancing all over his upper limbs and passed them around.

"What's this band called again?" Dave, the "black friend" asked Morgan as he passed him his beer.

"Dude I told you, their called Real Estate." Morgan said back exasperated. Chuck smiled at his little companion. They had been friends since Elementary School and have been through all the awkward stages and family rifts that ensued over the years together. Morgan was there when Chuck's mom left and his dad started drinking. He was there when Chuck was accepted into Stanford where he worked to get his degree for English. He was also there when he asked him to come move to New York with him as he pursues his career as a journalist. He was the brother Chuck never had, who happens to have an everlasting crush on the older sister that Chuck verymuch has. He pushed that last picture out of his mind as he grabbed the beer Morgan was offering and patted his friends back.

"Tonights the night Charles, I can feel it. I'm going to meet the love of my life tonight" Morgan happily proclaimed as he looked hopefully around the bar.

"Morgan, you don't really want to marry a girl you meet at a bar, have you ever watched Maury?" Chuck said back as a tipsy brunette locked eyes with him. "Besides, this bar in particular doesn't exactly scream monogamy right now" Chuck finished as he looked away from the drunk girl and saw a guy watching two girls make out. Chuck turned away in embarrassment.

"Are you sure, cause i'm really seeing love right now." Morgan distractedly said as he walked to the girls in lip lock to get a better view.

"And there he goes." Chuck knowingly said to himself as he watched his friend stalk off. He turned his attention back to his beer. Chuck noticed the attention he was getting from girls, he knew the effect he could have on them, especially when intoxicated. He would be lying if he said he didn't take advantage of it on occasion after the breakup with Jill happened. His awkward teen years were what some may call a "doozy" but time paid off eventually. The acne had long since passed and he had toned up his tree-like figure. WIth the breakup happening a year passed, Chuck was over the meaningless flings. He didn't need them to feel better anymore and with a now clear head, Chuck felt remorse for all of it. Even though he had his heart broken, he knew that it was probably not just sex for the other girls, no matter what they said about no strings attached at the time. He took a long sip of beer as he shook those thoughts from his head. His sister had always taught him to respect girls and he knew the reputation he got after Jill wasn't the best, needless to say his sister wasn't impressed with him for a while.

"Man, come get another beer with me." Dave said to Chuck as he was already pulling him along to the bar.

"Because you asked so nicely." Chuck smirked and then downed the rest of his remaining beer as Dave ordered them more beers. Two girls approached them with their fruity drinks in tow. Chuck noticed they were pretty, but he noticed that they knew that too. "Hey boys... my friend here is knew in town, i'm trying to show her a fun time tonight.. and she thinks you're cute." The prettier of the two said in an obnoxiously loud voice as she was trying to overpower the already quiet music in the background.

"Is that so? Well me and my friend here Chuck, just so happen to be fun at times" Dave said back, not missing a beat. Chuck just smiled politely and took a swig of his new beer. The prettier girls friend smiled at Chuck and tried to hold eye contact with him.

"Hey man I'm gonna step outside, you got this" Chuck said lowly to Dave and then smiled again at the girls then walked away dodging the crowded groups as he walked outside. He took a deep breath in the fresh air and closed his eyes. He could hear the people laughing and talking from inside as he sits on a curb near the entrance. Chuck frowned a little as he listened in. It wasn't that he was depressed, he didn't know exactly what he was. He had a ton of friends, a few good ones. A gracious sister, who has a nasty habit of looking out for him. He started his internship at Rolling Stones Magazing six months back, he seemed to be doing good. It wasn't Jill, he wasn't that melodramatic to still be on that ship. Chuck just had a sense of longing. He had been feeling it a lot the last couple of months. His decision to move to New York a year back was a smart one. He was having fun, the city helped keep his mind off of his heart as he and his friends became regulars at rooftop parties and the bars. Fun can only distract you so long though from the real world. The real world was finally catching up to Chuck.

"Hey man you got a smoke?" A drunken tethered looking man asked Chuck.

"Don't smoke, sorry." Chuck tiredly said back.

Chuck was getting tired of the routine he was going through. This routine being, impress my boss. Try to be creative in my job, then afterwards drink and flirt it off with your friends and girls. It was all very mundane and repetitive, even for being twenty something. If he was going to keep going through all this bullshit young adult life activities, he at least wanted something real with someone else. Chuck was in the dilemma of trying to find someone, while at the same time guard his heart with everything he has. It was quite the predicament and it made Chuck do dramatic shit like ditching a bar to sit on a curb and dwell on his life.

"Alright...alright this is ridiculous, get up." Chuck said to himself and waved a hand through his short hair, "And now i'm talking to myself...fuck." He finished as he shook his head and pulled himself off the curb. He brushed the unwanted dirt off his pants and checked himself out in the reflection in the window of the bar. With a non committed shrug, Chuck walked back into the bar.

"Dude where have you been, the bands almost started! This is Alex by the way... Alex this is Chuck my best friend." Morgan rambled excitedly to Chuck and the pretty girl next to him. Chuck shook her hand and smiled at the both of them "Sorry, I had a call to take outside..." Chuck lamely said to the two. Morgan wasn't paying much attention anyhow, as he was fully engrossed in the girl next to him.

"Can I get you another drink?" Morgan politely asked Alex, smiling at her. Chuck grinned.

"Oh sure... if you don't mind, let me come with you." Alex smiled and headed to the bar, Morgan following her there. He looked back at Chuck and mouthed "I'm in love."

Chuck smiled as he gave Morgan two thumbs up in return. Morgan was a sucker for this stuff, so Chuck would let him have his fun for tonight and Alex seemed sincere enough. The band then walked back on stage, while people whistled and clinked their beers to show their excitement. Dave, Chris and Jen walked up beside Chuck as they got ready for the set. "Where's Morgan?" Jen asked, looking around for their bearded friend. "Oh you haven't heard? He's in love now, he doesn't need us." Chuck jokingly said as he pointed to the place where Morgan was chatting up Alex. "To quote the uh...wise words of Rhianna, I believe he has found love in a hopeless place" Dave joked back. "Or you know...a bar." Chris added. Dave just nodded "Same thing." he shrugged jokingly. Chuck smiled at the banter and took another swig of his beer. He liked this band and just wanted to hear them play and then go home. The crowded bar started cheering as the band started playing the first chords of Chuck's favourite song of theirs Beach Comber.

He scanned the cheering crowd as the sides of his mouth started pulling up. These people weren't as annoying when they were cheering for something valid. As he scanned the room his eyes glanced at the door as a couple of even later-commers entered the bar. Chuck looked up and his mouth slacked slightly as two girls walked in. One in particular that Chuck took immediate notice on had blonde curls that hung carelessly at her shoulders and was wearing a loose fitted short floral dress. She was smiling at her friend. She was beautiful. Chuck continued to stare a moment longer as the blondes brunette companion pulled her to the bar. Chuck looked back at the band and drank another sip of beer. He glanced around the room again, trying to catch another glimpse of the blonde. She was walking back from the bar with a beer in hand and walked by where Chuck was standing. He felt a twinge of nervousness as she passed by him standing at the opposite end of the room. Chuck looked down at his shoes and chastised himself for the nerves he was feeling when there have been plenty of pretty woman in his life.

Still, he glanced at her again with the same feeling in his stomach. He looked at his feet then looked up again and made eye contact with the blonde girl. Her eyes were on his and the corners of her mouth slowly moved up into a shy smile. Chuck smiled back at her.

What you want is just outside your reach.


A/N: I told you this is very AU. I didn't realize how much the song fits to the whole theme of the story until I actually read the lyrics while writing this. I would love to continue if you guys like it, i'm quite the procrastinator and it was a miracle that I actually wrote this all in one sitting. I don't have a complete path on the whole story itself, but I have tons of ideas, especially for the next chapters. If you would like me to continue, let me know. Stay classy and all that shit.