A/N: Our tale continues

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Chuck sat on the deck of the beachside bar, watching his soon to be brother-in-law. The joy on his face made Chuck's heart soar. While Chuck had Morgan, and he was family, Devon was like the brother Chuck had always wanted, and anytime Devon was happy it was infectious.

"No, Dad, that is absolutely awesome!" Devon said into the cell phone. "I can't tell you the last time I was actually in the same room with her. I mean, she's Zoomed with me a few times, but to actually see her…" He listened for a moment. "Well, I'm sure we can entertain her if she is here for a while." He was silent again. "Right, right, I understand. Listen, if she's only here for Thanksgiving, that's fine. I'm just glad to see her, and give her a big 'ole hug. Love you, Dad. Bye."

"So, your foster sister is finally coming to LA, huh?" Chuck asked, amused at Devon.

"Man, she's more than that, as far as I'm concerned," the older man said with a shrug. "I mean, she's my sister, you know?"

"Trust me, Devon, I understand how you think about family," Chuck told him.

"Eeeyyyy," Devon said, pointing at Chuck and grinning.

}o{

Sarah sat on the plane, studying the packet Graham had given her. She looked over to her right, and there was Carina, snoring. Sarah snorted laughter, shook her head, and went back to the file. After a minute, she laid it down, frustrated. "Okay, just admit it… you're happy to see them," she said to herself softly.

If she lived to be five hundred, she would never forget the way Devon Woodcomb welcomed her with open arms, literally, when she moved into the Woodcomb household. When she arrived at their doorstep, some ten years ago, the older brothers had already moved out. It was only her, Devon, Woody, and Honey. She looked out the window, as the memories assailed her.

}o{

Ten years ago

"Have you got anything else you need help with, bags-wise?" Devon asked, standing at the doorway of Sarah's room.

"No," Sarah replied, shaking her head. "I only had a few bags. I had a growth spurt, and a lot of my clothes didn't fit me. Dad was working a lot and didn't have time to take me shopping."

Sarah was feeling embarrassed. She wondered what it was like having a relationship with a parent, because she truly never had. Jack had used her in business meetings to soften people up, before he went in for the kill. She wondered; did he ever see her as a daughter? Most of the time she felt like a prop. At best, she felt like Jack saw her as a future partner.

"Well, mom will go with you, or I will," Devon told her. Sarah looked up at him, confused. "Or-or, we could just give you the credit card and you could go by yourself."

"I don't think that's your call," Sarah said, gently. "I appreciate all of this, but… you don't know me."

Devon stood there a second. "Listen, here's what I know… there's this girl at college that I'm really into. I mean, really into."

"Okay, I don't need too much info," Sarah told him. She smiled, affected by the infectiousness of his own smile and good humor.

"Anyway, she's told me about her life, and everything she's been through with her parents leaving her and her brother, and how she's practically had to raise him-"

"And now you have me, in a similar situation, and you want to use me to get in good with her," Sarah finished, nearly spitting venom, she was so irritated. She glared daggers at him, and Devon took a step back.

"No, not at all," Devon said. "Listen, I'm already in good with her… if you know what I mean." Sarah groaned at that. "What I'm saying is, I've had a really lucky life. A privileged one, even. I've had two parents who love me and were always there for me. I had older brothers who protected me because… well, they're my brothers. And now… now I'm your older brother, and… and I want to be there for you… if you want. Nothing creepy."

Sarah laughed at that. "Thanks, Devon, but… well… trust me, I'm not worth the effort."

"On that front, you're wrong," Devon told her. "And, you have sealed your fate as well." Sarah raised an eyebrow. "I have now decided that you are my sister, my younger sister, and I'm going to be there for you whether you like it or not. It's the big bro code."

"I see," Sarah said. "What are you doing?" Devon had his arms outstretched. "I don't hug."

"Or do you?" Devon asked. Sarah looked at him, and turned away. Affection when she grew up usually came with a price. Any kind word she received was because of how she helped her father accomplish something. She looked over at Devon, and saw the truth on his face… simply, the truth. There was no manipulation there. He genuinely wanted her to be happy. She took three steps and was enveloped in the biggest bear hug imaginable, before she knew what had happened.

"I don't know how to family," Sarah said, trying to hold on to her emotions.

"Here's the trick," Devon said softly, squeezing her tight, but not suffocating her. "Family is just there for each other. We don't always agree, we don't always say the right thing. But when it counts, when you need someone, family is always there."

"I don't know if I can do that," Sarah admitted.

"Yeah you can," Devon told her.

With that, she lost her battle with emotion.

}o{

A few hours later, and a washcloth to her face to wipe away all the tears, Sarah found herself in a clothing store. "Now, don't you worry about the price," Honey told her.

"How come I have to?" Devon teased.

"Because you're twenty, and live at home, and attempt to eat me out of house and home daily," Honey reminded him, giving him a look. Devon laughed, making his mother laugh. Sarah watched them, wishing she could have had that, but knowing that she was cursed. Knowing that she would inevitably one day succumb to the same curse that had ripped her family apart.

"What's wrong, dear?" Honey asked, seeing the look on her face. Sarah didn't know what to say, so she grabbed the end of her hair. "Sweetie, I mean this the nicest way I know how…" Honey trailed off, not sure how to ask what she wanted to.

"I cut my own hair in the mirror," Sarah admitted. "Dad didn't have time to take me to a barber shop."

"A barber shop!?" Honey replied. Devon rolled his eyes and looked to the sky. Sarah started to giggle, making Honey turn to her son. She thwapped him good-naturedly in the stomach. "You behave." Devon just smiled at them.

}o{

A little while later, the three stood in Honey's favorite hair stylist shop. Sarah wanted to protest about her hair, but Honey promised her what her 'fixer' was going to do she would love. Sarah nodded and gave herself over to the beautician. She wondered what Devon was doing, but she heard him mumble "Awesome," and saw he was undergoing something involving a lotion on his skin, cucumber slices covering his eyes. She chuckled at that. As she turned her head back to where Honey stood with the beautician, Sarah ducked her head, embarrassed at the mess that was her hair.

"He's such a ham," Honey muttered, smiling over at Devon. "You know he worried me for a while." Sarah looked up at Honey, not daring to move her head while the beautician began to work. Honey found a chair and pulled it over to where Sarah was sitting.

"He was supposed to be on the UCLA football team," Honey told her. "During summer drills, he tore up his knee." Sarah hadn't noticed Devon having any problem getting around. "I figured he would be devastated, but he told me that it actually made things easier."

Sarah looked confused.

"Devon was to be a cardiologist, and committing to playing football was going to make it tough on him, considering the time commitment both football and medicine require."

Sarah nodded slightly, not wanting to move her head as the beautician worked. "Is he ever upset?"

"I mean every now and then we hear a, not awesome from him, when something doesn't go his way," Honey admitted, making Sarah giggle. "He's always been so positive." Honey smiled at Sarah, leaning closer. "He's really glad you're here."

"I don't know why," Sarah replied with a shrug.

Honey laid her hand on Sarah's leg and squeezed. "Because we've read about you, we've been told all about you. You, Sarah Walker are pretty incredible."

"Well, I won't be here long," Sarah told Honey. "You don't have to put yourself out or anything for me."

Honey tilted her head, and gave her a sad smile. "Sarah, as far as all of us are concerned, your last name may be Walker, but you're always going to be part of this family." Sarah looked down, not trusting herself. "I know, you have taken a lot of classes. I know that your father had you moved up in school."

"I graduate in a few months," she said softly.

"With a 4.0," Honey said, pride in her voice. "With over seventy hours completed toward college."

"If I make a four on my AP tests, I'll have eighty-four hours," Sarah replied. "Harvard is going to put me directly into their Linguistics program, and after I graduate that in two years, I can then get an MBA from there."

"You're planning on graduating, with your masters, by the time you're twenty?" Honey asked.

"Yes," Sarah replied. "I have to."

"Why do you have to?" Honey asked. Sarah shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Sarah, sweetie, you can stay with us as long as you like." She nodded over to Devon. "Look at that big lug over there," she said affectionately. "He's still living at home."

"I don't want to hurt you," she said softly.

"Sarah, you wouldn't hurt me, or any of us," Honey assured her. Sarah gave her a smile, and wiped her eyes. Sarah didn't believe a word Honey was saying. The Walker family curse was inevitable… of that, Sarah was sure. And she swore to herself that no one else would get hurt by it. Herself, fine. But no one else.

}o{

"You should come with me," Devon told Sarah one Friday night. "Elle's brother will be there, and you two can hang out."

"No thanks," Sarah told him. "I have an AP final on Monday, and I need to study."

"Sarah, you just legit helped me study for my test on Monday," Devon reminded her. "A college test on medicine."

"I thought you were going to Ellie's to study?" Honey asked, overhearing the conversation.

"I can't go over there appearing to know nothing," Devon told Honey. "Besides, if we're done studying early, there might be a hands-on practice test."

"Oh God," Sarah snorted. Honey shook her head at her son. "She must really love you, to put up with those terrible jokes."

"I hope so," Devon admitted. Both Honey and Sarah looked at Devon in shock. "She's… she's pretty much perfect. I mean, she has some trust issues with others, given what her parents did," he said with a shrug.

"Who wouldn't," Sarah muttered. She sighed when Honey and Devon looked at her. "Seriously, I need to go study. See you tomorrow, bro."

"I didn't say I wasn't coming home tonight," Devon protested.

"You didn't say you were, either," Honey told him, swatting him on the shoulder. She pulled her son into a hug. "I hope you two are happy."

"I am," Devon said. "And I really hope she is too." He paused for a moment. "If I'm not it, I want her to find him. She deserves him." Sarah stared at Devon for a moment, shook her head, and headed upstairs. "Damn it," Devon said, heading toward the stairs.

"No, go," Honey said softly. "You know how she is. She's going to hole up in her room, and when she decides to talk about it, she will."

"She'll never talk about it," Devon protested.

"Well," Honey said with a shrug, "we can't force her, Devon. Her experience with us has not been what she's been through in the past. She knows we're here."

"Okay," Devon said, not really agreeing. Honey gave him a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, Mom."

"See you tomorrow," she told him. Devon grinned, heading out the door. "Woody," she called. A second later, Woody walked into kitchen and looked around. Honey glanced to the stairs. Woody nodded, wrapped an arm around Honey, kissed her on the head, and headed up the stairs.

He walked up to her door, paused, took a deep breath, and knocked. "Hey, kiddo, it's Woody. Can we talk a second?"

"Yeah," he heard from behind the door. He grinned, knowing that she was probably wiping tears from her eyes. A few seconds later, the door opened, and she stepped back, letting him in. "Something wrong?"

"No, no," Woody said. Sarah walked over to her desk, and sat down in her chair, facing Woody. Woody took a seat on her bed. "Sarah, it's Friday night."

"It is," Sarah agreed.

"Don't you think it might do you some good to go out with friends, or something?"

"Woody," Sarah began. She paused, struggling for words.

"You knew Honey and I knew your mom in high school, right?" Woody asked. Sarah nodded. She hadn't known it until she came here. She had no idea how close Honey and Emma were. Woody had become like a brother to Emma. "She would want you to enjoy life."

"I don't think I can," Sarah said with a shrug. "I just broke down, thinking how I can never have what Devon and… is it Ellie?" Woody nodded. "I can never have what they had. I'm my father's daughter."

"So, you're… jealous?" Woody asked. Sarah nodded. Woody looked concerned for a moment. "Sarah… is it because you are jealous of their relationship, or is it…" Woody trailed off, trying to think of how to ask what he was wondering, tactfully.

"OH GOD NO!" Sarah said, realization dawning. "Devon is a brother to me, that's it!" Woody nodded. "He said if Ellie isn't happy with him, he hopes she finds the person to make her happy. My own father didn't care if I was happy."

"I do," Woody said softly. Sarah nodded. "We all do, Sarah."

"I know, I know," Sarah told him. "You know, it's funny, you feel more like a… dad, than my dad ever did." There was silence in the room for a moment. "Woody?" she said softly. He sat there, waiting patiently for her question. "Would it be okay… would it be okay if I called you… Dad?"

"Of course it would, Sarah," Woody told her, opening his arms. Sarah closed the space between them quickly and hugged Woody. "You can have a life, Sarah."

"I can't… Dad," Sarah said, trying to stop the outpouring of emotions. "I can't… I'm too much like him, and not enough like her."

"You're exactly like her, sweetheart," Honey said from the doorway. Neither had seen her there. "It's why I think he pushed you away. It killed him to see her, in you." Sarah started to say something, but she couldn't, due to being too overwrought with emotion. "And you don't have to, but if you'd like to-"

Honey never got any further because Sarah leaped to her feet, and hugged Honey. "Mom," she said softly. Honey held her tight as Sarah began to cry. Woody came over and wrapped his arms around her from the side. The two stood there, holding Sarah, wishing their friend was alive to be the mother this precious girl needed.

}o{

"Hey," Carina said, pulling Sarah out of her thoughts. "We're about to land. You okay?"

"Thinking about the happiest six months of my life," Sarah said, a sad smile on her face.

Carina frowned. "Well, you've known me a lot longer than six months, so apparently you can't tell time."

Sarah snorted. "It was when I lived with Honey and Woody."

"Have you seen them since then?" Carina asked, gathering her things, getting ready to deplane.

"I mean, a week or two here or there," Sarah said with a shrug. "I was in Boston, at Harvard. I was… home, for Christmas, while I was in college." Sarah didn't see the look Carina gave her when Sarah had said home. "I took summer classes, so I was barely there in the summer, and then once I began to work for Graham…" Sarah shrugged.

"Well, welcome home," Carina told her. "I'm not going to Thanksgiving with you."

"I wouldn't want you to," Sarah told her, grinning at her friend. "They are amazing people, and I feel bad enough me corrupting them. I want you nowhere near them."

"Although, the guy you call Awesome is a looker," Carina teased.

"Carina," Sarah said in a dangerous low voice. She had spun around and her and Carina were now nose-to-nose. "He is happy, and if you do anything, and by God, I mean, anything to mess up his relationship with Ellie, you will wish for death due to all the suffering I will inflict upon you. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Carina said, her voice just over a whisper.

"Good," Sarah chirped, her sunny disposition reappearing. "Now, we have work to do!" Sarah started off the plane as Carina watched her, thinking maybe she didn't know everything about her friend that she thought she did.

A/N: Next time:

"Yeah, I am," Chuck said. "Devon told me about you thinking you're cursed." The smile left her face, and she nodded. "I get that. I do. My parents… left. I still don't know why. Was it me? Will I be that way one day, if I have kids? Am I doomed to make the same mistakes my parents did?" She moved her arms so that she was hugging herself, more than being crossed in front of her. "The thing is, you can't curse Awesome."

Sarah sputtered a laugh. "Wait, you call him Awesome as well?" Chuck nodded. "I know I can't, Chuck, but it's not that simple."

They meet!