A/N: FYI, during Big Mike's speech, I kinda felt that Animal House Bluto speech.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

"Another Christmas… in the trenches," Morgan muttered, looking out his binoculars at his target.

"You're in my van," Jeff said, right beside Morgan's ear, sticking his head between what little space remained between the seats. The three of them were all in the back of the van. Big Mike had bailed on them, but had let them out of work to take care of this.

"Is that our target?" Lester asked, on the other side of Morgan, sticking his head in between the seat as well, leaving no room.

"Yes," Morgan said, putting down the binoculars and looking from one to the other. "Are you sure you can do this?"

Jeff and Lester shared a look, and grinned like the Grinch.

}o{

Anna and Casey walked into Big Mike's office. They stopped, as they saw him leaning back in his chair, an unlit cigar in his mouth and his feet kicked up on his desk. "What are you doing?" Anna asked.

"I'm the manager of the Buy More," Big Mike answered, as he sat up, and then stood. "The answer is, whatever the hell I want." Casey's and Anna's eyes widened. "You two have screwed this up for weeks, so now, we're taking care of our own."

"Big Mike," Anna began.

"Quiet," Big Mike said, making her eyes go wider. He gave her a disgusted look. "You tried to go to their side."

"I did not!" Anna protested.

"You really did," Casey admitted. She glared at him, and he shrugged.

"You two, trying to be all sneaky, and spy like…" Big Mike snorted in disgust. "Anna, all you do is glare at those boys, and they leave you alone." He turned to Casey. "And you, you work too damn hard to be a real Buy Morian."

"Thank you?" Casey said, not sure if it was a compliment or an insult.

"Bartowski is too damn good for this place, but he's one of us. So are the slackers that work harder at getting out of work than working, the morons I have that hide when they see people, and not even you can find, G-Man."

"I'm not a G-Man," Casey insisted.

"You're a government agent, you're a G-Man," Big Mike said. "You don't know what it's like to be one of us, to be on the lowest rung of life. To have your face stepped on… by someone like you."

"You're right, I don't," Casey replied, growing interested.

"Casey?" Anna said.

"Shh," Casey replied.

"You don't know what it's like to see that brass ring, but it's so damn far away and unobtainable… and then, when we see it, and reach for it, we get knocked back down," Big Mike went on. Casey was nodding as Big Mike talked.

"What the hell is going on?" Anna asked.

"Bartowski deserves better, and you government types think you know red tape? You think you created red tape?" Big Mike opened a drawer and pulled out what looked to be a ream of paper. "This is the required paperwork to get a one-hundred percent refund in cash!" Casey shrugged. "This is for one product man, all of this!" Casey's eyes widened. "We understand bureaucracy better than you ever will. We are retail."

"I'll be damned," Casey said, impressed.

"So, we'll finish your mission, we'll make sure he's there, and then… then, Bartowski will fly." Big Mike sat down in his chair. "If he doesn't pull something."

"Or shit the bed," Casey added.

"There's every possibility he will," Big Mike agreed. "I'm hungry." With that, he stood, left his office, and the Buy More.

"What the hell just happened?" Anna asked.

"I think that was the Buy More's version of God, Country, Family," Casey admitted.

}o{

Sarah sat in the car, looking at the apartment complex. "You okay?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah," Sarah said with a sigh. "I just hate having to go in there and lie to your sister, on today of all days."

Chuck was silent a moment. "How are you lying?"

Sarah gave him a look. "Chuck, she thinks we're together." Chuck sat there, a confused look on his face. "You know… together."

"I know what it means, but aren't we?" Chuck asked her. She gave him a look. "Listen, I know physically we aren't, but… aren't we?" Chuck shifted in his seat to look at her. "That's what I've been saying; we're here for each other emotionally, we support each other, we're in this… together."

Sarah gave him a smile. "Yeah, we are, but Chuck-"

"No, Sarah, I get it. We can't say or do some things, because of this asinine asset-handler thing. But there is no cover anymore. It's just us. At least, it is for me."

Sarah didn't say anything. Chuck nodded, turned, and opened the door. He got out, and took a deep breath.

"It is for me too," Sarah said softly. Chuck turned, and she was standing there, looking at him, gripping onto the car with one hand, one leg still in the car. "I'm not good at this." She blew out a breath. "I've been trying to tell myself everything I've done is for the cover, but… it's not, Chuck."

"I know," he said gently. "Thank you. That is honestly the best present anyone could have given me."

She tilted her head. "Chuck, while that is sweet, I promise: If there was no asset-handler thing, I would say and do things that would beat that present." Chuck turned red. "That's my guy," she said, grinning.

}o{

He woke up, his head spinning. He couldn't see right, it was like… his head was in a burlap bag. He could hear voices, arguing. He had been minding his own business, drinking at the bar, stewing over something he had been told, when his sense went off. Ever since he was a kid, he had always known when things were off. He began to slip away, and it would have worked, except he thought those who had found him were competent.

He had never expected a man in white shirt and tie, crazed looking, to come off a trash dumpster on top of him. "Will you shut up, he's awake!" one of them hissed. Probably the leader… as if these three had a leader. Normally, he would have been worried there was more than three, but he had heard three distinct voices. And he was quite sure anyone else wouldn't have kept their mouth shut, given the general incompetence of these three.

"I know this seems weird, and we've gone about it a strange way, but we need your help with Sarah Walker," the leader said.

"Don't know no Sarah Walker," he replied. The bag was pulled off his head, and the aroma he thought was coming from the bag, was much stronger. It was coming from the van itself. A picture was shoved into his face. "Angel!" he said. Normally he wouldn't let these three know about his relationship with her. But after old copface had shown up a few days ago, it was obvious these three clowns were the amateur hour, and copface was busy doing something else.

"If you don't help us…" the thin smallish one said.

"What?" Jack asked. "What are you gonna do?"

"You don't want to know," the crazed one said, the one who had fallen on him from atop the dumpster outside of the bar.

"Look you two, how about you give us a minute," the leader of the three said. He was small, with a hell of a beard, if Jack were to be honest. The two gave the leader a look, and left the van, slamming the sliding door. The leader turned back, went behind Jack, and a second later, Jack was free.

Jack rubbed his wrists. "Why'd ya do that?"

"Because I'm going to tell you a story, and then let you leave," the bearded man said. "When I was a kid, my dad left me."

"Tough break, kid," Jack said.

"I've read your file, and I know… everything." He was silent a second. "Do you know Sarah is a CIA agent, and had to become one to get you out of jail?"

"No way," Jack scoffed. The bearded man held his gaze. "Damn it," he swore softly. "So, explain to me what's going on."

"Your daughter has fallen in love," the bearded man began.

"Pffth," Jack scoffed. "She knows love is a con."

"You know what's a con?" the bearded man asked Jack. "Protecting someone, guarding him over a computer loaded into his head, and can't be with him because an agent can't be compromised with an asset." The bearded man reached behind him, grabbed a folder, turned back, and paused.

"What?" Jack asked.

"If I give you this…" he paused. "You're not supposed to see this. I'm not even supposed to have it, but your daughter is being conned."

"What's your name kid?" Jack asked. "What's your angle?"

"Name's Morgan Grimes, and the man that's in love with your daughter is my best friend, Chuck Bartowski," Morgan replied.

Jack studied him, and then held out his hand. He took the folder, read it over, reread it, and gave Morgan a look. "No way… it's a con, she'd see right through this."

"Let's say it is a con… why would she not see through it?" Morgan asked.

"The only way she wouldn't is if her feelings were involved, and that would mean…" Jack trailed off. "Oh my God," he groused. "She's in love with that schnook."

"She is," Morgan concurred. "Now here's your choice: run, like you've been doing for years..."

"You make it sound cowardly," Jack said.

"Or, on the most magical night of the year, help your daughter when she needs it most," Morgan finished.

Jack shook his head. "Kid, she don't need my help. She'll figure it out." He handed Morgan the folder back. "Besides, she's better off being alone."

"So better off being like you?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah," Jack said, as he got out of the van. "Besides, if tonight is so magical, why does she need me?" Jack started walking away.

"Because kids need their parents to bring the magic of Christmas. When's the last time you did that, Jack?" Morgan called after him. Jack kept walking, Morgan watching him go.

}o{

"Thanks again, for my PJs, Ellie," Sarah said, curled up against Chuck. He had been right. They were together, she loved him, he loved her. They hadn't said it, but each one knew. They would figure this out. She just didn't know how, but tonight… tonight was about them. Tonight was about family.

"Okay, I'm heading to bed," Ellie said, standing. "It's late and-" she stopped, at a knock on the door. "If that's Morgan," she muttered.

"I'll get it," Chuck said, standing up and hurrying to the door. "If it's Morgan, I'll get rid of him." Chuck opened the door.

"Morgs," he began and then stopped.

"Hi," the man said, standing in front of Chuck. "Is Sarah Walker here? I'd like to talk to her. I'm her father, Jack Burton." Chuck wasn't prepared for the flash. Sarah was at his side like a shot.

"Chuck?" Ellie said, concern on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Chuck said, shaking his head.

"Holy shit," Jack breathed. "That file was right."

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked, her eyes bugging out, worried about Chuck, but stunned by the revelations.

"Darlin' we need to talk," Jack told her.

"Let's go outside," Sarah said. She turned to Ellie. "I'll be just a minute, and he's okay."

"I'm going to give him a once over, just to be sure," Ellie said, as she led Chuck back to the couch. Chuck and Sarah locked eyes, and she mouthed. "It's okay," as she headed outside with her dad.

"Isn't this exciting?" Ellie asked Chuck. "Sarah's dad!"

"Yeah," Chuck said, thinking about the flash. "Exciting."

A/N: One more chapter to go. I had to make it twelve. See you next time. Next time:

"I know," Jack said. "I know everything." Sarah straightened, stunned. "I know that you work for the CIA, that I got you into this…mess."

"Dad," Sarah began, not sure what to say.

"I know I've been a shitty dad, so for once, in my life, let me give you a gift," Jack said, looking at the ground. He raised his head, and held her gaze. "Angel, you're being conned."

Merry Christmas everyone