A/N: Me, guys, ME, let Sarah stand up Chuck? Come onnnnnnnnnnnnn.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Chuck sat there thinking he had been stood up. "Figures," he muttered.

"You okay there, Chuck?" Lou asked him, coming by.

"Yeah, I'm good," Chuck replied. Lou was silent. "I'm meeting someone."

"Really?" Lou asked. She looked around as the crowd began to thin. "Uh."

"She's running late, she just text me," Chuck lied. Lou gave him a sad smile, nodded and left him alone. Chuck sat there drinking his hot chocolate, looking down at the pack of cards.

"Chuck?" he heard a voice call out. He looked up and saw Sarah Walker. "Hello. What a coincidence. Mind if I sit down?"

"I'm sorry, I do. I'm expecting someone," he told her.

Sarah looked at the pack of card on his table. "Going to show someone card tricks?"

Chuck straightened. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm meeting someone for the first time, and this is so she can recognize me. I know, you're going to laugh at me for meeting someone online and then meeting them in real life, but I'll have you know that she suggested the cards, and they mean a lot to me."

"Why would cards mean a lot to you?" Sarah asked, finding herself genuinely curious.

"My dad," Chuck said softly. "It was his thing." He looked away, and blinked and then turned back to her. "When I did something that was right, or he was proud of, he would always say, 'Aces, Charles.'" Sarah thought her heart would break. She made a decision and pulled out the chair. "I'm not trying to be rude-"

"I promise, as soon as this person shows up I will leave, I promise," she told him. He nodded, and she took a deep breath. "Chuck, I don't think she's coming."

"See, that's what's wrong with you, you don't believe in people, you don't know people, we're all numbers, and figures, but at some point you have to understand you have to have faith in people to do the right thing." Chuck's eyes went wide as he realized what he said. "Oh. My. God," he muttered. "I am so sorry."

"No, it's okay," Sarah began.

"No, no it's not," Chuck continued. "It is not your fault what I am going through."

"It kinda is," Sarah replied.

"No, it's not, and I have to quit blaming you," Chuck told her. She gave him a sad smile. "I don't want to blame you, but.."

"I run the store that is hurting your business," Sarah finished for him.

"It's more than hurting it, Sarah," Chuck said softly. "It's not good."

"Chuck, can I ask you something, and maybe you not bite my head off?" Sarah asked. Chuck winced and then nodded. "This woman, that you haven't met, do you like her?"

"I do," Chuck said with a smile. "And-and I get it, you may think I'm ridiculous, and I understand, but she has a wit, and a grace, and is just this amazing person."

"Yeah, but what about her physically?" Sarah asked.

"Doesn't matter," Chuck insisted.

"What if she's what my friend calls a USB?" Chuck gave Sarah a confused look. Sarah looked around. "Remember, it's not my term." Chuck nodded. "An ugly stupid blob."

"Not possible, she really smart," Chuck protested.

"What if she's using google to look things up and say things?" Chuck sat there. "It really doesn't matter does it?" He shook his head. "Good, because she is quite heavy."

"What?" Chuck asked.

"And a mole, right here," she said, point to the left side of her chin. "It's just hideous, like the kind you can't look away from."

"How would you know?" Chuck asked.

"Because I saw her outside and she asked me to give you a message," Sarah told him. "Well, not you, but whoever had the pack of cards." Chuck sat there, in complete shock. "Chuck, the lady outside was a friend of your, well, friend." She watched the relief on his face. "I thought it doesn't matter?"

"It doesn't, but…you know." He looked away, embarrassed.

"I do," Sarah assured him.

"What did she say?" Sarah knew she had two options, break his heart, or go with the long term letting him down. It was Christmas, he had lost his father, and Sarah Walker found herself realizing in that moment, she liked Chuck Bartowski. She liked him as Orion, and she liked him as Chuck. The problem was he was never going to forgive her, and she knew why. If only there was some way to make him see her for who she…really….was…and then it hit her.

"She told her friend that she had an emergency and she would get in touch with you when she could," Sarah told him. "She's okay, I don't know if it's work or family, but it seemed important."

"It is," Chuck said. Sarah's eyes went wide. "I know her, it's important."

"That's a lot of faith in someone you don't know," Sarah told him.

"But see, that's just it, I do know her," Chuck insisted. "I know her, the person inside, the person that matters. She lets me see everything." Sarah smirked. "Okay, the important stuff." Sarah felt her mouth go dry. "I know her."

"Chuck," Sarah gently began. "What if the person she let you see really isn't her? What if..." Sarah sighed. "What if she's catfishing you and she's some 90 year old dude from Pakistan?"

"Then I guess I'm in love with some 90 year old dude from Pakistan," Chuck blurted out. He realized what he said and laid hid his face in shame. If he hadn't he would have seen the absolute shock on Sarah's face. "You must think me the biggest fool."

"No, I think you're a hell of a guy with an amazing heart," Sarah replied. Chuck raised his head to look at her. "Which tells me exactly how bad I've hurt you that you hate me so much."

"I don't hate you," Chuck replied. "I just don't like what's happened and I know, it's not fair, but..." he trailed off.

"I understand," she said, putting her hand on top of one of his and was shocked at what the touch did to her. "Your friend, she's lucky and stupid." Chuck didn't know what to say. "Come on, let's get out of here." Chuck nodded, stood, and the two left, each heading separate directions as the exited Lous.

A/N: Next time, Sarah gets advice, Ma23 and Orion speak, in just 24 short hours.