A/N: All right, I'm going to take a run at this. Let's start with the Captain's take on the morning after Chuck's big date.
Chapter 1: Awesome vs. the Pilot
On the morning of September 27, Devon Woodcomb woke with a smile on his face. The night before had gone well. In fact, the last two days had gone well – better than he could have hoped after the disaster that was Chuck's birthday party. Ellie had been so disappointed with how that event had turned out, after all the effort she'd put into finding girls for her brother. Still, Devon had to admit that he hadn't been surprised; Chuck was a great guy, but the Buy More and the five-year-old Jill fixation were not a winning combo.
And then the world seemed to stand on its head. The Chuckster seemed to snap out of his half-decade slump almost immediately, and had stayed out very late with a girl he'd met at work. This near-miraculous turn of events had made Ellie happy, nervous, and excited… and that had given her plenty of energy to burn off, which was never a bad thing. Last night, it had been a very, very good thing.
Having finished dressing for his early surgery, Devon stepped into the living room and stumbled upon a spontaneous display of affection. He promptly joined in. "Group hug? Awesome." He'd always enjoyed those. Leaving the apartment, he thought back to the blank look on Chuck's face. Combined with the fact that he'd still been wearing the clothes Ellie had picked for his date, the conclusion was inescapable: Chuck had just experienced one mind-blowing night.
Good for him, Devon thought with a smile. If anyone deserves a good break, it's Chuck.
