A/N: So, it's Christmas Eve morning and Chuck and Sarah have already been exchanging… gifts. Hopefully they've been able to separate themselves to make it back to Ellie's. Let's drop in on our friends and have a look. (Don't worry. They're decent. I checked :) )

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

Chapter 13

Sarah was driving down the Interstate with Chuck in the passenger seat, a silence hanging over the car. The two were staring through the windshield but Sarah was periodically sneaking a peek at Chuck out of the corner of her eye. When she saw the corner of his mouth start to turn upward, she reached across and smacked him on the thigh.

"Shut up!" she shouted, her pout trying to mask the smile on her face.

'What?! I didn't say anything," he protested, trying to look innocent.

"No, but I could see that look on your face. You were thinking it," she shot back, pointing at him.

"What look? This is just my face," he said, gesturing to his face in a circular motion. "This is how I look. I can't help it." There was definitely a huge grin on his face and he was doing a terrible job of masking it.

"You know damn well what I mean. You're making fun of me," she declared, sitting back in her seat in a huff, her bottom lip jutting out in an adorable pout.

"I most certainly am not. I would never make fun of you." The flat look she gave him made Chuck snort. "OK. Maybe not never, but not now at least. What would I have to make fun of you about anyway?" His poorly masked grin belied that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"OK, maybe not 'make fun', but you're definitely smug. That is a very smug look on your face, Mr. Bartowski," she retorted.

"Ok. Let's say you're right and I have a 'smug look on my face'. Do you think that maybe, just maybe, I sort of earned that? Just a little?" he asked, holding up his thumb and forefinger close together. Sarah pursed her lips and turned them to the side, trying hard not to smile. Finally, she rolled her eyes, looking a bit shy.

"Ok. Fine. Maybe just a little smug," she relented. 'But don't let it go to your head. Next time, it'll be your turn."

"Oh, baby, that isn't the threat you think it is," he teased, chuckling. He quickly sobered and turned to look at her with a wince. "Sorry. I-I didn't… it just kind of slipped out."

Sarah turned to look at him, a bewildered smile on her face. 'What? Oh, you mean how you just called me 'baby'?" she asked, giving him a wry smile, biting her bottom lip.

"Yeah. We may not be at the pet name stage yet and I can see how that name might be thought of as disrespectful," he rambled on, looking contrite.

"Chuck, I've been called 'baby' before and most of those men ended up with a broken finger or some other painful reminder. When you say it, I know it comes from a place of love. So, I… I kinda like it," she confessed, smiling shyly.

"Yeah?" he asked, to which she nodded. "So, you don't mind if I call you that on occasion?" Sarah shook her head, beaming at him.

"Just as long as you keep that smug look off your face."

"OK, so let me ask you this. Suppose the situation was reversed and in my … postcoital bliss, I attempted to get out of bed and collapsed to the floor stating that 'I think you broke me. I can't move my legs.'. Would you, or would you not, feel a bit self-satisfied at hearing that? Would you not be justified in feeling a little smug, maybe?" he asked, giving her a look that challenged her to disagree. Sarah's only response was a shy smile as she shook her head in amusement.

"You know, maybe next time-"

"Whoa, next time? There's a next time, is there?" Sarah asked incredulously, smirking at him.

"Oh, there'll be a next time," he said, sounding rather sure of himself, even though there was clearly a teasing tone to his voice. "And next time, if you find yourself in a similar situation, just yell out your safe word." Sarah gasped in shock, then began smacking him repeatedly on the leg.

"OW! OW! APPLES! APPLES!" Chuck shouted, holding up his arms to try and defend himself, all the while both of them were laughing so hard they were crying.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was nearing lunchtime when Chuck and Sarah walked into Ellie's house, almost as if they were sneaking in after coming home late from a date. They barely got more than a few steps into the foyer when Ellie spotted them from the family room.

"Oh, your back!" she exclaimed, her excitement evident in her voice. As she approached, she stopped short, her eyes widened, sparkling with excitement. She let out a high-pitched squeak, but cut it short, trying desperately to control herself. Failing miserably at steeling her features, she instead turned around, shaking her head and walking away.

'What?" Chuck asked, looking confused.

"Nooothiiing," she replied in a sing song voice. Chuck turned to look at Sarah, still thoroughly confused.

'What?" he asked Sarah, who only gave him a bewildered shrug in response. They followed Ellie through the family room and then into the kitchen where, from the looks of it, she was making cookie dough. "What was that about?" Chuck asked, standing across the kitchen island from his sister.

"Oh, come on," Ellie challenged, giving her brother a "get real" look. "I mean, look at you two." Chuck and Sarah looked at themselves and then one another. Returning their attention to Ellie, they did their best to pretend they had no idea what she could mean.

"What? I know my shirt's a little wrinkled from being in my duffle bag," Chuck confessed, trying in vain to smooth out his shirt. In truth, his shirt was fine, he was trying to deflect as much as he could to avoid what he feared she was going to say.

"Yeah. Yeah," Sarah added, "the bed wasn't very comfortable either; tossing and turning all night." Sarah was hoping that might explain away their tired appearance. It was only partly a lie. There had been plenty of tossing and turning with very little sleep, but that had nothing to do with the bed itself.

Ellie gave them both a flat look, rolling her eyes. "Really? That's how you're gonna play this?" Letting out a snort, Ellie shook her head in amusement. "You two are soooo obvious. Sarah, you're glowing and can't keep that grin off your face. And you," she pointed at her brother, "you, well… you almost always have a goofy smile on, but it's … extra goofy now." Chuck and Sarah glanced at each other, both blushing furiously. "Awww. You two are so adorable," Ellie said dreamily.

"OH! That reminds me," Ellie rushed out, coming around the island toward Sarah. "So, your mom, she's coming right?"

Sarah looked a little startled at first, given the abrupt subject change, but managed to shake it off. "Oh. Right. Yeah, she said she'd love to. She's going to bring some baked goods over on Christmas morning. Some homemade breads and maybe a pie or two. I hope that's alright."

"Oh my God. That's fantastic. She can bring whatever she wants. I'm so happy for you, Sarah," Ellie confessed, wrapping Sarah in a hug. Sarah happily returned the hug, finding that she was growing accustomed to Ellie hugs. "I'm excited that we'll get to meet her."

"Yeah, me too. I've told her all about you guys."

"And she still agreed to come?" Ellie asked teasingly, laughing at her own joke, as did Chuck and Sarah.

"Ooooh. You guys are amazing. She's excited to meet you all." It was at that moment, Mary and Stephen stepped into the kitchen, Mary gasping in surprise.

"You're here! When did you get in?" Mary asked, giving Chuck and Sarah each a hug.

"Just a few minutes ago, Mom. Hey, I'm sorry about last night," he offered, giving his mother an apologetic look.

"Oh, pffft," she replied, waving him off. Chuck and Sarah caught a faint smirk on Mary's face as she looked between them. Their "activities" at the hotel seemed to be the worst kept secret in America. That morning, Sarah had joked that Ellie probably heard her from their hotel room, but now she was wondering if there might be some truth to that. Thankfully, Mary covered it quickly, changing the subject before either Chuck or Sarah were forced to address the elephant in the room. "Sarah, how's your mom? Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's great actually. We got a chance to catch up and, you know, mend some fences, as they say. It was really, really good. Better than I'd hoped really. Thanks to Chuck," she admitted, turning to look up at Chuck, taking his hand in hers.

"That's great, Sarah," Stephen chimed in, giving her a warm smile and a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "We're so glad she's going to be spending Christmas with us. It'll be so great having her here. You can never have too much family at Christmas.'' Mary turned to look at her husband, giving him a flat expression.

"Ok. OK. Uncle Harold was a bit much, rest his soul, but that was over fifteen years ago. I think if we stick with the present company, and Sarah's mother of course, it'll be a wonderful time."

"Couldn't agree more, Dad," Chuck added. Everyone agreed in turn, an air of excitement surrounding the new traditions this year was bringing. As she looked around the room, Sarah was beginning to feel the weight of it all, the tremendous outpouring of generosity and love. Before she realized it, tears were streaking down her face.

"Oh, sweetie," Ellie gasped, stepping up to Sarah, taking her by the wrists.

"Oh, I'm fine," Sarah chuckled, shaking her head.

"Dear, you're crying. That seems quite the opposite of fine," Mary chimed in, her concern evident in her tone.

"No. No, really. It's just… you're all so wonderful. I can't believe how lucky I am. That's all," Sarah admitted, letting out a wet chuckle.

Chuck wrapped his arm around her, and was soon joined by the rest of the family. "I think we can all count ourselves lucky. I know I do," Chuck confessed, pressing a kiss to her temple. Sarah leaned into the kiss, enjoying the sweet, intimate gesture.

Ellie pulled back, as did the others, wiping a tear from under her eye. "Alright. Well, enough of that. Who's up for making Christmas cookies?" Everyone cheered, following Ellie's lead.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Don't you think that's a bit much?" Sarah asked with a smirk.

Chuck looked between her and the cookie he was decorating. "What?" he asked, looking almost offended.

"There are so many sprinkles on that cookie, Santa's gonna chip a tooth," she chided playfully.

"You're just jealous. You feel threatened by my artistic vision," he retorted, gesturing grandly at the cookie in front of him. The Christmas Tree sugar cookie had a thick layer of light green icing and every square inch was covered in white sugar pearls, red cinnamon candies, nonpareils of varying colors and tiny candy snowflakes.

"Your artistic vision, huh? Is that what we're calling it? It looks to me like something an eight-year-old Seurat would have done," Sarah teased, shoulder bumping Chuck as she giggled.

"See?! George Seurat was a famous artist. So, I'll take that as a compliment," Chuck declared triumphantly.

"Wow. I'm impressed. I figured if their artwork wasn't pictured in a comic book, you'd be oblivious," Sarah teased, hissing with her tongue between her teeth.

"We prefer the term 'graphic novel', thank you very much," he corrected with faux indignation. Sarah held her hands up in surrender, trying to hold in her laughter. "But, if you must know, I'm familiar with his work because of the musical 'Sunday in the Park with George'," he admitted a bit shyly.

"OK. Now I'm really impressed. I wouldn't have pegged you for a fan of musical theatre. Although, after your karaoke performance, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Oh, God. Don't get him started," Ellie groaned, decorating a cookie of her own on the other side of the table. "He'll go on and on about what a convincing Perchik he played in his high school's production of Fiddler on the Roof," Ellie droned out, rolling her eyes, though there was plenty of mirth in it.

"Hey! I was good. Everyone said so," Chuck objected defiantly.

"Mom doesn't count," Ellie jibed, sticking her tongue out at Chuck.

"Now, he was very good," Mary jumped in, coming to her son's defense. "Much better than that boy who played Motel. What was his name? The one with the terrible stutter when he got nervous?" she asked, pointing between Chuck and Ellie for help.

"His name was Zachary and you're not helping," he replied flatly. Sarah couldn't help but burst into laughter. Leaning over, she kissed Chuck on the cheek, still giggling.

"I'm sure you were wonderful, Chuck," Sarah assured him, patting him on the cheek. She didn't mean it to sound condescending, but he seemed as though he might have taken it that way. Pushing himself away from the table, he stood.

"If I wanted this kind of ridicule, I'd log into Call of Duty where there're plenty of twelve-year-olds from around the world who'd be all too happy." In a slight huff, he walked out of the dining room, where they'd been decorating cookies, and into the kitchen.

Sarah looked on in concern, turning to Ellie, who just waved him off, and Mary who'd already returned to decorating her cookie. Stephen was deep in concentration, muttering to himself as he painstakingly decorated a cookie, precisely placing his sprinkles with the help of a toothpick. Fearing that they'd gone too far, and she'd played some part in it, she followed after him.

Stepping into the kitchen, she looked around and started to call for him, when she was grabbed around the waist and pulled into a heated kiss. She let out a yelp in surprise, but his mouth was already on hers, forcing her to swallow the sound. After her senses returned, she began kissing him back. Her hands, which were pressed against his chest, slid up over his shoulders, locking behind his neck. He pulled her flush against him, his hands kneading her back as the kiss continued for a long moment. When Chuck slowly pulled away, peppering soft kisses against her lips, they were rudely interrupted.

"When you two are finished fooling around, will you bring in the other bottle of white sanding sugar?" Ellie yelled from the other room. "It's on the island." Chuck just sighed, shaking his head, and Sarah started shaking from her silent giggles.

"What makes you think we're fooling around? I could be in here, inconsolable, scarred from the relentless taunting."

"I can see you in the reflection of the refrigerator, nerd. Quit trying to swallow her head and bring me that sanding sugar," Ellie quipped.

Shaking his head again, blushing slightly, Chuck rolled his eyes. "Are you sure you want to be a part of this family?" Chuck asked Sarah jokingly, looking into her eyes.

Sarah held his gaze, her arms still wrapped around his neck, and she got lost in the warm, amber glow of Chuck's eyes. Without a second thought she whispers, "I do." The conviction with which she said it, took her, and Chuck, a little by surprise. His eyes grew wide, and he began to search her eyes, as if trying to discern if there was some hidden meaning. That's when it struck Sarah, the meaning those words could implied and her eyes grew just as wide.

"I... I mean. Yes. I-I'm sure," she rushed out, blinking as she started to pull away. Chuck nodded his understanding, pulling away as well, clearing his throat.

"I should get the -," he said gesturing toward the kitchen island.

"Yeah. Right. I'm just gonna go-" Sarah added, pointing back the way she'd come.

Collecting the bottle that Ellie had requested, Chuck paused for a moment as he stood alone in the kitchen. He contemplated the exchange they'd just had. Perhaps it had been a slip of the tongue, or perhaps not. While one meaning implied a much stronger commitment, the fact that she wanted to be part of this family at all was still a big deal. While it was entirely too soon to be talking about 'I dos', the thought of future Christmases with Sarah, Christmases here or at their own home, with their children, brought a smile to his face. He gave a small chuckle before walking into the room, holding his quarry aloft.

"I come bearing sugary gifts."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Is this what you normally eat for Christmas Eve?" Sarah asked, eyeing the spread laid out on the island.

"It's changed a little over the years, especially as we've gotten older," Chuck admitted. "Since we do a big meal for Christmas Day dinner, we decided to do something a lot less formal for Christmas Eve. We've got jalapeno poppers, potato skins, crackers with pepperoni and melted cheese and some soft pretzel bites. Oooo, and over here is the crack spread!"

"I'm sorry. The what?"

"Crack spread. At least that's what I call it. Once you start eating it, you get addicted and can't stop."

"What's in it?"

"It's mostly whipped butter, cream cheese and garlic. There're a few other seasonings thrown in there, but that's the bulk of it. So, super healthy," Chuck joked with a snort. "You just take one of these small slices of French bread," he demonstrated, holding it up for her to see. "Then, you smear an obscene amount of crack spread on it aaaand...joo eed it," he mumbled as he crammed the whole thing in his mouth. He groaned and rolled his eyes as if he were in heaven, savoring it as he chewed. "Sooo good. Mmmmm."

"Would you like me to give you two a moment?" Sarah asked with a smirk. Chuck just gave her a flat look then held up a finger as he continued to chew. He went through the procedure of making another one and when he was satisfied, he handed the piece to Sarah, gesturing for her to eat it.

Sarah shook her head in amusement, taking the offered piece of bread from him. She made a show of putting it in her mouth, as if she was humoring him. With her first bite, her expression changed instantly, a moan escaping her lips. "Oh my God."

"Crack spread," he remarked, nodding with a knowing smile, as if that was all one needed to know. Sarah quickly ate the other half, moaning again as she chewed. "I'm uh… I'm a little jealous. I don't think I can compete with the crack spread," he stated with faux dejection. Sarah covered her mouth, giggling as she chewed, her cheeks warming slightly.

Leaning up, she gave him a garlicky kiss. Bouncing her eyebrows, she whispered into his ear, "Maybe you'll have a chance to show up the crack spread later. I have faith in you." Her last words were breathed into his ear, her bottom lip grazing his ear, causing him to shiver. When she pulled away, she bit her lower lip, attempting an innocent smile.

"You're a very evil woman," he whispered, his frustration painted across his face. She feigned offense, gasping and placing a hand on her chest. Chuck was clearly not having any of it. "Maybe I'll just bring the crack spread upstairs with us later."

"Apples!" she exclaimed, her eyes going wide before both of them burst into laughter.

"I don't wanna know," Stephen muttered with a wry smile as he made his way around the island, filling up his plate.

"Are you doing inappropriate things with the food, Chuck?" Ellie questioned, not even looking at him.

"Why do you always assume it's me? Maybe it was Sarah. You ever think about that?"

"Umm… No. No, I haven't, and don't you sully her good name. Sarah's as pure as the driven snow," Ellie declared. She turned to wink at Sarah, a smirk plastered across her face. Sarah barked out a laugh at that, and Chuck remained quiet, realizing that he would be treading on thin ice if he laughed or protested in any way. Conceding defeat, he piled more food on his plate and headed for the family room to find a seat.

Sarah watched him go, then turned toward Ellie. "I have to confess, I may have played a small part in -"

"Sssshhhh," Mary hissed, holding her finger to her lips conspiratorially. "Don't let them hear you say that. If they think they're in trouble, they're more likely to bend over backwards to make it up to you," she advised with a wink. Ellie giggled, nodding her head in agreement.

"We're standing right here," Stephen deadpanned, pointing between himself and Devon.

"What? You want to be in trouble too?" Mary teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Mr. B, I think they got us outnumbered," Devon admitted, nudging Stephen's arm.

"Yeah. You're on your own, Charles. Sorry." As the two men made a hasty exit from the kitchen, the three women exploded in laughter.

Everyone ate and laughed, telling stories of Christmases gone by around the fireplace in the family room. Much of it was at Chuck's expense, but Mary and Stephen were quick to point out some rather embarrassing moments from Ellie's childhood as well to even things up. It was all in good fun and everyone had a good laugh.

Nobody probed Sarah for moments from her childhood, an unspoken agreement between them all. Sarah felt guilty for not being able to share, but she didn't want to ruin the happy mood with tales of Christmases spent on the run or stealing from the Salvation Army. She hadn't yet confessed to the rest of Chuck's family about her past. Ellie and Mary only knew that it was troubled and they accepted it at that without pushing for more. They had agreed that it needed to be between her and Chuck for now. If he was OK with it, then that's all they needed to know. Sarah was eternally grateful for the kindness and generosity of this family. If she really was going to be a part of this family, as they seemed to indicate, she would need to tell them eventually, just not at Christmas.

"Dear?" Stephen interrupted, gaining his wife's attention. "Don't you think it's about time for everyone to open their one gift?" Mary, Ellie and Chuck gasped with excitement and Devon whispered an "awesome". Sarah just watched in curiosity, uncertain what was going on. They all made their way into the front living room, where presents were piled under and around the Christmas tree.

"Sarah," Ellie chimed in, "on Christmas Eve, we all open one present. Mom and Dad pick them out, usually because they bought them. The rest we have to wait until Christmas morning. In fact, this year we'll wait until your mom gets here. Then we can open them all together."

"Thanks, you guys. Including her in your Christmas really means a lot to me."

"Of course! The more the merrier, and don't worry, we've got some gifts for her to open too. We didn't want her to feel left out," Mary assured Sarah.

"What? You guys…" she trailed off, tears welling in her eyes. "You… you didn't have to-"

"Nonsense," Stephen interrupted, waving her off. "It's Christmas. Sarah, how about you open your present first?"

"Wh- me?" she asked in surprise. Stephen nodded, passing her the wrapped present. Sarah looked the gift over, feeling the glossy paper, the bow and the tag with her name on it. It had been nearly twenty years since she'd gotten a Christmas present, and that painful realization began to hit her harder than she'd expected. Her lip quivering, she sniffled, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

In an instant, Chuck's warm, reassuring hand was on her back, his lips pressed into her hair. Sarah leaned into the kiss, his presence grounding her, helping her remember that this was her life now; at least she hoped so. Mary leaned out of her chair, squeezing Sarah's forearm. She turned to look at Mary, giving her an appreciative smile, chuckling wetly at herself.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me," she said jokingly, wiping at her cheeks. Mary didn't say a word, but simply gave Sarah a look, one that told her she didn't need to pretend around these people. Sarah's forced smile, turned into a short sob, shaking her head as if that would keep the tears at bay.

"I… I haven't gotten a present like this since… since I was a little girl," she confessed, sniffling loudly. "I'd forgotten what it felt like. Thank you, Mary. You have no idea how much this means to me," she choked out, tears spilling down her cheeks again. Mary quickly stood, pulling Sarah against her, holding her close.

"Don't you worry about it. Those days are gone. You have people in your life who care about you. Trust me, before this Christmas is through, you'll be tired of open presents," she teased, eliciting a chuckle from Sarah. Mary pulled away, wiping a tear from Sarah's cheek before sitting down. "Now, go ahead. Open it."

Sarah looked around the room, Chuck's family staring back at her. Ellie was almost as much of a mess as she was, her eyes puffy from crying. Still, she gave Sarah a warm, loving smile, nodding her encouragement. Devon beaming at her, nodding his encouragement as well. Stephen looked composed, though Sarah could see the glassiness in his eyes, the sight of which almost made her break down again. He had a huge heart, just like his son did, full of love and empathy. She didn't need to look at Chuck, she could feel his love and support, almost like a ray of sunlight filling her with warmth. His hand had never left her back, keeping that constant contact to let her know he was there.

Taking a cleansing breath, she began to open the gift, carefully pulling open the seams, not wanting to ruin the beautiful paper. Nobody rushed her, they just let her go at her own pace. The paper finally removed, she was left with a rectangular, white shirt box. She pulled off the lid and began to move the tissue paper aside. There was clothing of some sort beneath, so she pulled it out, unfolding it and holding it up in front of her to admire. It appeared to be a pajama set, the shirt was soft red flannel with matching red and green plaid flannel pants.

"You got me pajamas," she sighed, hugging them to her chest. "Oh, they're so soft. Thank you so much. I love them."

"It's kind of our tradition," Ellie interjected. "On Christmas Eve, we all get pajamas, then we change into them and watch a Christmas movie together before bed. Then we get to lounge around in them all day on Christmas."

"Be sure to tell your mother that she can feel free to dress in her most festive pajamas too, if she wants," Mary added.

Sarah nodded in response, "I'll let her know. Thank you. For everything. This is really great. Mmmm, I can't wait to put them on," she hummed, rubbing her new pajamas against her cheek. There were some chuckles in response as Stephen passed out the remaining presents to be opened. Each person opened their gift in turn, expressing their thanks to Mary and Stephen. Ellie and Devon got matching pajamas in navy blue and green, while Mary and Stephen's were black covered in images of strands of colorful Christmas lights. When Chuck opened his, they were a perfect match for Sarah's, making her heart swell even more at the acknowledgement that they were a couple; a matching pair.

"Look we're Twinkies!" Chuck exclaimed, holding up his pajamas. His beaming smile matched hers, spurring Chuck to lean over and kiss Sarah tenderly on the lips. It was fairly short and chaste, but that simple act, displaying his affection for her, in front of his family no less, made her fall in love with him just a little bit more.

"OK. Save that for after the movie," Ellie chided playfully. Surprisingly, it was Mary that laughed the loudest, but quickly came to their defense.

"Oh, Eleanor. Let them be. I think it's adorable. I'm just so glad they found each other," she confessed, smiling warmly at the young couple.

"While I liked your coffee shop story of how you first met, I think the real story is even more romantic." Mary stood with her pajamas in hand. Chuck swallowed thickly, now that his mother had finally pointed out the elephant in the room. He was wondering when he'd have to face the firing squad for lying to his family. Sensing his discomfort, Mary ruffled Chuck's curls with a chuckle. "Let's get changed so we can start our movie. If we wait much longer, Stephen will be asleep before it starts."

Stephen huffed in faux indignation, putting his fists on his hips. "I resemble that remark," he declared jokingly. Between bouts of laughter, everyone collected their pajamas and headed to their respective rooms to change.

Chuck was relieved that he got a stay of execution from his mother. He was sure he'd hear something about it later, but everyone seemed to accept the truth and were genuinely happy that he and Sarah were really together. When he and Sarah got into their room, Sarah immediately started shedding her clothes.

"Whoa. Um… you want me to step out? I can go change in the bathroom." Sarah looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"Why?" she asked, her brow knit in confusion.

"You're… you know…" he trailed off, gesturing to her body as she stood in her jeans and bra. Sarah rolled her eyes, giggling at how sweet and shy he still was, even after the morning they'd had.

"Chuck, it's safe to say that you've explored parts of me that only my loofa knows about," Sarah teased, causing Chuck to turn bright red. She stepped up to him, their noses almost touching. "While I appreciate your thoughtfulness, you're being a little ridiculous." Sarah leaned in the rest of the way, placing a lingering kiss to his lips as she rubbed her hands up and down his chest. His slight whimper made her bubble over with happiness. So much so that she couldn't stop from giggling against his lips.

"I'm glad I amuse you," he murmured against her lips, trying to give her a deadpan expression.

"Oh, you definitely amuse me. You know what else would amuse me?" she asked, her lips brushing ever so slightly against his as she spoke. He stood speechless, only giving a minute shake of his head. "Snuggling with you in our new pajamas while we watch a movie." Chuck nodded mutely in agreement, not breaking eye contact. "Chuck?" she asked at just above a whisper.

"Mhmmm?"

"If we don't get changed right now, there's not going to be any movie," she warned, her grin turning almost predatory.

"That's not the threat you think it is," he replied, not moving an inch.

"Uh huh, until your mother or sister come up here to find out what's taking us so long," Sarah retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, God. I love you, and you're amazing, but we gotta get downstairs," he rushed out, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before racing to get his new pajamas on, Sarah right behind him, giggling the entire time.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"No. The real women. The real women. You know who you are. Alright, you, who was making noise throughout the whole movie..."

"My brother, the king of Christmas," Ellie parroted along with the movie, earning her a chuckle from around the room.

"Ah, that's gotta be one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies," Chuck confessed, stretching on the couch as Sarah pried herself away from his side to do likewise. "I mean, it's no White Christmas or Muppet Christmas Carol, but it's definitely in the top five." Sarah giggled, shoulder bumping Chuck.

Mary jostled Stephen, who'd fallen asleep in the recliner almost halfway through the movie. "I'm awake. I'm awake. What'd I miss?" he asked, trying to hold his eyes open wide. Mary just snorted, patting him on the cheek.

"Come on, dear. Time for bed," Mary stated, taking Stephen's hand to help him up. "Good night you guys. We'll see you in the morning, but not too early, huh?" she asked, pointing between Chuck and Ellie. "You two aren't little kids anymore. You don't need to get up at the crack of dawn. Besides, we need to wait for Emma to get here before we open presents," she scolded with humor in her voice. The Bartowski siblings groaned in a mock pout, playfully protesting. Mary waved them off as she and Stephen headed for bed.

"Well, time to put the plate out for Santa," Chuck declared, patting Sarah on the knee as he stood up.

"Ooo, yeah. Good call," Ellie agreed, as she straightened up the family room. "The cookie plate and mug are on the island."

Chuck offered his hand to Sarah, helping to pull her up from the couch. Still holding her hand, he led her into the kitchen. A large cooling rack on the counter was filled with all of their decorated cookies. Taking the festive cookie plate, he stood in front of the cookies, waiting.

"Pick out some cookies to leave for Santa," Chuck instructed, gesturing to the large assortment of decorated cookies.

"Seriously?" she asked, eyeing him quizzically.

"Yep. Every year we put out cookies for Santa and some baby carrots for the reindeer. It's their favorite, you know?" he added, sounding very serious. Sarah nodded, taking on the same serious expression. The corner of Chuck's mouth began to curl up as he watched her examine the cookies, thoughtfully choosing which ones were the best.

"Let's see…. How about… this one… this one...Hey, how many cookies do you normally put out?" Sarah asked, looking up at Chuck and seeing his glowing smile and bright eyes. "What?"

"Nothing… it's just… God, you're so beautiful. An-and I don't just mean your outward appearance. It's just… just you. All of you." Sarah ducked her head, her cheeks reddening at his sincere compliment, before lifting her gaze to meet his again. They held each other's gaze for a long moment before Chuck shook his head. "Uh…. to answer your question, three or four. We usually put three or four cookies on the plate. That gives us enough room for the carrots."

"Oh… g-good to know," she nodded, turning back to the rack of cookies to select a couple more. Once she was satisfied, they went into the refrigerator and pulled out the bag of carrots, counting out exactly eight and placing them around the outside edge of the cookie plate. Pouring some milk into the mug that was on the counter, they carried the items out to the living room to place them on the end table near the Christmas tree.

Ellie and Devon were finishing locking up the house for the night and stopped to appreciate the tree, the presents and the cookies laid out for Santa.

"Aces, Charles. Aces," Ellie declared, giving her brother an appreciative smile.

"A Dad quote. I'm impressed. Hey, thanks for this, Sis. For having us here, for… well, for everything," he added, sparing a glance toward Sarah. Ellie's smile grew, causing the corners of her eyes to crinkle, much like her younger brother. Ellie gave her brother a hug, then turned to Sarah, wrapping her in a hug as well.

"Good night you two. See you in the morning." With that, Ellie headed toward her room. Devon said his good nights, giving Sarah a quick hug and Chuck a firm pat on the shoulder before following after his wife. Chuck and Sarah stood in the silence of the living room, staring at the twinkling lights of the tree and the myriad of colors reflected off the ornaments.

After a few minutes, Chuck took two cookies from the plate and handed one to Sarah. She took it but looked at him in confusion. "Here's to the best Christmas I've ever had. Cheers," Chuck stated, holding his cookie out toward her.

Chuckling softly, she brought her cookie up, gently tapping it against his. "To the best Christmas ever. Cheers." The two toasted with their cookies, eating them as they continued to stare at the tree. Once finished, he passed her some of the carrots and offered her a drink of the milk. They made their way to their room, each crunching on carrots, thinking about the promise of tomorrow and the magic that Christmas would bring.

A/N2: Only one more sleep 'til Christmas….

Thanks for all the reviews and kind words. It's much appreciated. I hope I was able to reach out to each of you in thanks (at least those of you that are registered. (Hint, hint) I'd love to continue hearing from you. Please keep them coming.

Be safe and stay well.

JW