Title: It's all coming up Bartowski.
Rating: K+
Summary: Chuck's dreams are coming true.
Author's Note: This is my first Chuck Fic, although I have written a few for Veronica Mars. Warning for spoilers, takes place in the second season after "Chuck Vs. The First Date". Also no BETA so all mistaked are mine, sorry!
--
Chuck awoke as he had every morning for the past 8 months, just as the sun was appearing.
He silently slipped out of bed and changed into a pair of running shorts and a navy blue shirt. He tied his sneakers and headed out of his window as quietly as he possibly could. Once he had hit the road he felt the same sense of satisfaction he always felt at eluding Casey. In fact, for the past 8 months not a soul had realized that Chuck was going out every morning on his own for a run.
It had started off as a way to clear his head and it had evolved into something much more as he realized how much he loved the feeling of actually being alone. It was the one time in his day when he felt in control of his own life again.
When Chuck was running it all melted away and after 5 months of it he had worked his way up to 4 miles which he didn't think was too shabby for a nerdy computer tech. The one perk of running everyday was that Chuck felt his body changing, it was nothing too noticeable but he carried himself a little more confidently and he felt more at home in his own body.
Running had become Chuck's silent obsession and he felt at home in the vast expanse of the park that he ran every day. He had even begun to recognize the familiar face of fellow runners and the thought of belonging comforted him.
In fact, for the past 8 months Chuck had been keeping more than one secret from all the people he loved. He had been silently working on a prototype for a video game that he had loosely modeled after his own crazy life including having a computer in his brain and being under the protecting of both the CIA and the NSA. Of course he had embellished his own character a bit, he had created a suave, debonair super spy who had the ability to make women go weak at the knees.
Exaggerations aside the game had actually turned out to be a bit of a masterpiece and he had sent it off with the vague hope that something might come of it, but to be honest he wasn't banking on it until yesterday when an assistant from Electronic Arts had called him to set up a meeting to discuss the game.
Chuck had almost exploded when he got the call and it had taken all his strength to keep it quiet. He didn't want to get Ellie and Morgan's hopes up for nothing and to be honest he was afraid of getting his own hopes up in case nothing came of it.
So today was the day and Chuck realized he would have to tell either Casey or Sarah about his meeting, they would never let him out of their sight for that long. So Chuck had decided that Casey would be the better option.
He didn't really feel like explaining to Sarah why he had kept such a big part of his life so secret and he knew that Casey would be that last person to care what Chuck did with his spare time.
Chuck slipped back in through his window and headed for the shower. Half an hour later he was knocking on Casey's door.
"Whoa Bartowski, big day at the office?" Casey asked clearly confused as to why Chuck was dressed in a suit.
"Good morning to you too" Chuck smiled as he gently pushed past Casey into his living room.
"Casey I need to ask you a favor and I need you to keep this between us….."
--
Four hours later Chuck walked out of the offices of Electronic Arts in Redwood City.
"Bartowski! I've been sitting here all morning! What the hell took you so long?", a clearly agitated Casey demanded.
"Lots to discuss" Chuck mumbled staring rather blankly out the window.
"That's all I get? Well I hope your little day off was worth it because I'm way behind my sales quota and Big Mike is going to have my ass."
"You know what Casey" Chuck replied, "It was, it definitely was"
--
Ellie swung open the door to the apartment.
"Hi Sarah, I didn't know you were coming over tonight" Ellie said while giving Sarah a hug.
"I hadn't planned to but Chuck phoned me earlier and asked me to come over, he said he had something to tell me?"
"Strange, that's what he told Devon and I too."
"Yeah well that makes four of us," Morgan stated as he walked through the already opened door.
As Morgan entered Chuck came bouncing into the room.
"Hey Sarah" he smiled as he walked over an kissed the on the cheek, he sometimes amazed himself at how good he was getting at having a fake relationship.
Sarah smiled at him and intertwined her fingers with his, the small action still managed to send a tingle up his spine every time she did it.
"So…" she smiled up at him, "why are we all here?"
Chuck stared down at her and he was caught up in the intense urge to lean down and kiss her. Maybe he could chalk it up to cementing their cover.
The moment was broken when Casey walked though the front door and plopped himself on the sofa.
"Alright Bartowski lets get this over with" Casey grumbled.
"Sorry Casey am I keeping you from watching 'Dancing with the Stars'?"
Casey's face turned beet red, "How did you….?"
Chuck leaned down and said softly under his breath, "You're not the only super spy around here."
"Okay everyone" Chuck announced, "Since Casey has more…important things to do tonight, I'll just get started"
Chuck stepped in front of the sofa and as Ellie, Devon, Morgan and Sarah all found a seat.
For the next half hour Chuck explained everything to them, telling them about how he started the game and how he had been working on it for months. He kept the story going until he arrived at the meeting that morning.
"So I met with them this morning and they've agreed to buy the game!" Chuck smiled.
"And that's not all, they want to buy it for half a million dollars and I'll get 1 percent of all the sales made off of each unit."
"Oh my God Chuck!" Ellie squealed!
Devon bounced out of his seat and gave Chuck a high five, "Awesome dude!"
Casey sat speechless while Sarah got up off the sofa and walked over to Chuck, wrapping her arms around his waist.
She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I knew you could do whatever you wanted Chuck, I'm so proud of you."
Chuck leaned back to look into Sarah's eyes as he smiled at her.
"So Morgan, little buddy, what do you think?" Chuck asked breaking eye contact with Sarah and leaning over her shoulder only to find Morgan passed out on the Sofa.
"Chuck, is he okay? " Devon asked
"Yeah he's fine, I think it was just too much excitement for him, this has been his lifelong dream and I think I sprung the news on him too fast.
Casey perked up a bit and grinned, "I'll slap him conscious" he said a little too eagerly.
--
A few hours later Casey and Sarah were leaving and Chuck followed them outside. The cool night air was so refreshing; Chuck loved the smell of LA at night in summer.
"Bartowski, how the hell did you manage to sell your video game, it's almost impossible to even get those guys to meet with you, and they barely ever outsource their games!?"
"Well Casey I managed to convince Beckman that if I wasn't going to get paid to risk my life for my country he should at least let me take advantage of a few of his contacts."
Casey stared at Chuck and shook his head, "I don't understand how you kept this all so quiet, I think this assignment is making me soft!" Casey grumbled as he turned around and walked to his apartment.
"Goodnight Casey!" Chuck laughed and Casey mumbled something and slammed the door behind him.
Chuck turned towards Sarah just in time to see her try in vain to wipe the smile off of her face.
"You know Chuck that wasn't very nice, the poor guy is probably distraught now"
Chuck smiled as he took hold of Sarah's hand and they stared to walk towards her car, "Come on, it's a little funny."
Sarah couldn't help but laugh at the man who always managed to amaze her.
"You know Chuck, you underestimate yourself. You're so much more than what you think you are." Sarah said seriously as she leaned up against the cool metal of her Porsche, still holding onto Chucks hand.
He stepped forward closing the gap between the two of them as Sarah's free hand fiddled with his tie.
"When I told you at the restaurant that you could have anything you wanted I wasn't joking Chuck." She told him staring intently at him.
Chuck realized that she was being serious, that she really did think of him as more than the weak asset she was forced to look after.
"Sarah," Chuck breathed, " I want you"