A/N: Oh, hi. Yeah, I've been absent. Sorry, real life is acting like real life right now. I hope you are all doing well. Without any further ado, Ch 39

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

He lay there, staring at the ceiling, the sun peeking from behind the curtain, as he thought about what was said the night before.

"This is an us decision, Sarah. I'm sorry, was I overstepping?"

"No, it's just… we're dating, Chuck, not married."

"We're more than dating and you know it."

"Oh, I knew. I just wanted to make sure you knew."

He hadn't, if he were being honest. Not until last night. He had thought, he had wondered. But he knew, in his heart. He knew he had found forever, and it one part scared the ever-loving shit out of him, and one part made his heart soar. He let out a rough breath.

The last few weeks, their talks – the mention of the future, just everything – they had been dancing around something. As he lay there, thinking, a hand snaked its way up his face. The hand covered one of his eyes, as if trying to shut them and get him to go back to sleep.

"Will you quit thinking so loudly?" she grumbled.

"How do you do that?" Chuck asked. She pushed herself up, and looked him in the eye, a little irritated.

"Chuck Bartowski, it's early, so I'm just gonna say this. I love you. I know you, I feel the nerves you radiate, the love, everything. You and I are who we are, and as I said last night, I know we're more than just dating… more than just boyfriend, girlfriend. I know you Chuck, the same way you know me. So when you do… this," and she gestured her hand in his direction, "I know that you are having a mini-meltdown."

"I'm sorry," he began.

"Don't be," Sarah said shaking her head, and then laying it on his shoulder. "Just be more considerate, and do it when I'm awake." His jaw dropped from what she said, and then he felt her shake. The laughter made him shake his head, and then she squealed as he began to tickle her ribs. "Don't you start!"

"What will you do if I do?" he asked, seeing the glint in her eyes, and having a very good idea what she would do.

}o{

"Sorry we're late," Sarah said to Mary sometime later. She gave Chuck a look, then turned back to Mary. "Someone made us late."

"You have your nerve," Mary said to Chuck as he turned bright red.

"Why do you just believe her, before I get to tell my side of the story?" Chuck asked. Mary gave him an amused look. "I heard it as soon as it came out of my mouth," Chuck admitted. "So, we are here in an official capacity."

"Chuck, I'm not calling you Mr. Bartowski," Mary said to him. She turned to Sarah. "Dr. Walker," she began. Chuck jaw dropped a bit as he looked a little hurt. "She earned the honorific, Chuck."

"Yeah, she did," Chuck drawled, giving Sarah a grin.

"Mary, I'm gonna keep him, if you don't mind," Sarah said.

"No returns," Mary told Sarah, both laughing.

"Jokes on you two; I'm perfectly fine being given away," Chuck told them, making them laugh harder.

}o{

"You honestly think this is the best idea?" Mary asked them sometime later, after listening to their presentation. She looked directly at Chuck.

"I do," Chuck said. "You cannot do your old job and your new job. Plus, you lost Teddy, and as much as that loss will help, at the end of the day there were things he did that kept this company running."

"Chuck and I talked this over on the drive over, and I have to admit, this plan has a lot of merit," Sarah agreed.

"So, you think I should take the three positions: your father's old one, my old one, and Teddy's old one, and do what?

"Reallocate duties," Sarah told her. "Take what you do best and make that your job. Then you have two choices. Choice one: Take what you think are things that are similar, share dependencies, and make those the duties for one job. Then do the same for another. Take what's left over, see who has the lesser workload, and reallocate them to be equal in time and responsibility."

"Okay," Mary said. "Why do I think you don't like that idea?"

"Because of some things Chuck said, if I'm honest," Sarah said, shrugging.

"Wait, you're the professional here, I'm just-" Chuck began.

"Chuck, baby… shut up," Sarah said gently, making Mary laugh. "Listen, I know who I am, and I am confident in it. Enough so that when I hear a good idea, I am not so rigid that I can't say, 'You know what, that's a good idea.'"

"So, what would be Chuck's grand idea?" Mary asked. Sarah looked at Chuck, but he shook his head and indicated for her to go on.

"Hire Morgan and Anna," Sarah told her. Mary stared at Sarah and turned to Chuck.

"If it was my company, that's what I'd do," Chuck said with a shrug.

"Son, you have told me horror stories about those two," Mary protested.

"Mom, have you ever worked at a job you can do in your sleep? One that does not challenge you, one in which who you are, or your gender, was held against you? Have you ever worked for a boss whose goal was to enjoy his donut, and not have his employees or management bother him?"

"Mary, at first I felt the same way as you," Sarah added. "But Chuck reminded me of both of their strengths. Think about it… you've seen Morgan play video games. No one knows logistics, and how to better get something from point A to point B, than Morgan Grimes."

"That is true," Mary said. "Plus, he knows how to stretch a dollar, and when something is just a good value or cheap."

"Exactly," Chuck agreed.

"But her?" Mary began. "Anna?" Chuck just shrugged. "Honey, she's rude, she's lazy, she's… mean."

"There's fire in her, Mom," Chuck insisted. "She's not lazy, she's just bored with her job. What she's missed her entire life is someone to look up to professionally, a mentor, who will challenge and push her. You know how many times you've had to deal with people on the other end of the phone. I've heard you chew an ass or two when needed. If you show her the ropes, you'll find that Anna is brilliant. She'll pick up when to use honey, and when to use vinegar."

Mary was silent for a moment, studying Chuck. She turned to Sarah, grinning. "You did this?"

"Nope," Sarah said, shaking her head. "It's been there all along." She smiled at Chuck, then turned back to Mary. "Maybe I've given him confidence, but this… this is all your son, Mary. He was born to do this."

"He was," Mary agreed, nodding. "I have an idea I'd like to run by you two." Chuck and Sarah both nodded. "I'd like you," she looked right at Chuck, "to come brainstorm with your father once a month or so, in a consultant role. Anything created, and sold by us, you would receive a percentage of."

"Wait, what?" Chuck asked, sitting up, stunned.

"Chuck, you are amazing at what you do. And I get that you don't want to do that kind of stuff all the time, or build all the time. But you can't tell me you don't miss playing with some of the big-ticket items we have here. You can't tell me you don't have some idea you can't create because of limitations that don't exist here."

"Mom," Chuck began, and then he paused. He glanced at Sarah, then turned back to his mom. "Mom, this is an 'us' decision."

"I am aware… that's why I'm asking you," Mary replied, confused.

"No, I'm saying this badly," Chuck said. Sarah laid her hand over his.

"What he's trying to say is he believes this is an us decision, as in he and I," Sarah explained. Mary's eyes widened, and then she grinned.

"Really?" Mary asked.

"Yes," Sarah replied.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Chuck muttered, looking back and forth between the two women.

"So, let's take a trip to the Buy More," Mary said, grinning. Chuck began to laugh.

}o{

"It's just this side of a zoo, isn't it," Mary said to Chuck and Sarah.

"No… at least in the zoo, the animals are kept in their own habitats, and clean themselves," Chuck told her. He gestured toward Jeff. "Stay away from that one."

"Why, is he handsy?" Mary asked.

"No, he might try and smell your hair," Chuck told her. Sarah made a ewwface. "Don't worry, he doesn't eat hair." Sarah nodded, looking a bit more comfortable. "Anymore," Chuck added in a low tone. Sarah looked at him as he shrugged and started walking toward the Nerd Herd desk.

"Anymore? What the hell do you mean anymore?" Sarah was following behind him. "Chuck?"

"You know the human stomach can't digest hair, right?" Sarah glanced over at Jeff, and then back to Chuck. "Well, now Jeff does too, and he can remember it."

"Jesus, how did you work here?" Sarah asked.

"It was better than with us?" Mary added. Chuck glanced at her and then turned away. "I'm so sorry, son."

"Not your fault mom," Chuck said, walking up to the Nerd Herd desk. A woman sat on it, filing her nails, bored. "Mom, Anna Wu. Anna, my Mom, Mrs. Bartowski."

"Mary," Mary corrected. "Anna, what do you want out of life?"

"Respect," Anna told her.

"Do you think any of these men will ever give you respect?" Mary asked her.

Anna scoffed. "Find me a man around here, and we'll talk about it," she replied. "No offense, Morgan," she said, as he walked up.

"None taken," Morgan said. "What's up Bartowskis… and soon to be?" Sarah shrugged, and Morgan grinned, holding out his fist to her. She bumped it, then exploded it, leaving Morgan speechless.

"Dude, marry her," he said, his eyes wide.

"He will," Sarah replied before Chuck could say anything. Chuck turned to Sarah, who wore an impish grin on her face. "I'm sorry, have I misspoken?" Chuck was aware his mother, best friend, and girlfriend who was so much more than a girlfriend, was watching him, all amused. Anna was filing her nails, appearing uninterested, but she did keep glancing at him.

"I just never wanted to speak for you," Chuck told her. Sarah's grin intensified. "But I have been thinking about it… is this the best place for this conversation?"

"We are all here, the most important people in your life," Morgan said. Chuck turned toward him slowly. "Dude, you're right… Mr. B and Ellie aren't here. We should wait until they're here."

"There's going to be a big get-together for the entire company at the Bartowski's this weekend," Sarah told Morgan. "We could meet then." She turned to Chuck, who was just staring at her, his mouth agape. "What? Oh my God, Mary I'm so sorry, I'm just inviting people to your function."

"It's fine, Sarah, you're family… and you are an integral part of helping our company rebrand," Mary told her.

"I was talking about it should be more of a private conversation between you and I," Chuck told her. "More of a, I don't want you pressured into doing something you don't want to do thing."

"Isn't he sweet?" Sarah asked Mary. Chuck gave up. "Now… the real reason we're here…"

"Not to get him married?" Morgan asked. Chuck glared at Morgan. "Right, shutting up," he said, zipping his lips.

"I'd like to offer both of you a job," Mary began.

"Mom, that's not right," Chuck told her. Mary looked surprised. "Mom wants to offer you careers… wants to offer you the opportunity to grow, to do meaningful work that you'd be appreciated for."

"Dude, I know nothing about computers," Morgan began.

"Yes, that's true. But you know value versus cheap. You know transportation, you know logistics. You know how to get things from one place to the other, deployment. You, Morgan Grimes, know how things run, and how they can run more efficiently," Chuck told him.

Morgan drew up straight, a tear in his eye. "I do, and thank you for noticing."

"I don't know any of that stuff," Anna said, still filing her nails. If Chuck were forced to identify the look on her face, he would call it disappointment.

"No, you don't, and neither do I," Mary told Anna. "And I'm the new CEO." Anna stopped filing and looked at Mary. "But you do know about inventory, ordering, correct customer service." Mary had arched an eyebrow on the last one, and Anna couldn't stop the grin from growing on her face. "There are times you have to snap back, Anna."

"And there are times you shouldn't," Anna added. She was silent for a second. "About the dress code…."

"Anna, you wear what you want," Mary told her.

"Really?" Anna asked. "Whatever I want?"

"Yes," Mary told her. "You're an adult, starting a new job that I hope leads to a rewarding career. I am going to personally mentor you, if you decide to take this position."

"Oh, I'm taking it…" Anna began excitedly. She cleared her throat. "I mean I will have to give two weeks-notice, after we discuss salary and benefits…" she paused as Mary handed her a piece of paper. Anna looked it over, her eyes wide. "I accept," she said softly. "After I give my two weeks-notice."

"You're both fired," Big Mike said from behind them. Everyone turned toward him. "What? Obviously, I know the person in charge of Orion Industries, and when she walks in, it's a manager situation. So I stayed back, listening-"

"Lurking," Morgan blurted out. Big Mike glared at him. "You've already fired me."

"I rescind your firing," Big Mike fired back.

"Mike," Mary said gently. "It would mean a lot to me if you wouldn't."

"Fine… anything for you, Mrs. Bartowski," Big Mike said, grinning at her.

"Would you please come join our company picnic?" Mary asked. "You have done so much for us, and while I owe you so much more-"

"Absolutely!" Big Mike said, cutting in. "You always have the best food at those things."

"Thank you, Mike," Mary told him. "So, you two can stop by tomorrow-"

"Take them with you now, they're fired," Big Mike said with a shrug. "See you Saturday, Mrs. Bartowski." With that, Big Mike turned and left.

"And this was better than what you went through?" Mary asked.

"Yep," Chuck told her. Mary shook her head. "But, we've got work to do at my new job, so, back to Orion Industries?"

"Sounds good to me," Mary said, heading out. Morgan and Anna headed to the back to clean out their lockers, while Chuck and Sarah waited for them.

"So, you were just messing with my mom and Morgan, right?" Chuck asked. Sarah never looked at him, but the grin on her face gave him the answer. "Sarah," he began.

She turned to him. "I love you, Chuck Bartowski. I'm in your life until you run me off."

"I would have to be a special type of stupid if I ran you off," Chuck countered.

"You did work here," Big Mike said, as he walked by.

"How the hell does he do that?" Chuck asked. He turned back to Sarah, but she was already walking toward Morgan and Anna, who had returned from the back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring box. Glancing around furtively, he opened it and then closed it back, returning it to his pocket. "I'm not that stupid," he muttered to himself.

A/N: I mean…I don't think he is? Is he? Who knows. What? You're still here? Oh. Yeah, I have a little something about next time:

"No!" A man yelled as he saw Chuck coming. "No, no, no!" He pointed to the sign. No electronics past this point! "No!"

"Does he need to switch to decaf?" Sarah murmured.

"No, Chuck Bartowski, you are not entering the Thunderdome with your cheat device," the man continued, staring daggers at Chuck.

…..The Thunderdome? Come on back next time and find out what in the world is going on.

Take care of yourself my friends, until next time.