Chapter 4 – The Volkoff Visit

A/N: It's funny the timing of this post falls on my birthday. So, here's my gift to you.

I had good intentions when I first started this story last fall, saying that I would release a chapter every two weeks. Even with the warm reception I got, I still didn't follow through. I have no excuse, I just let other things grab my attention. I still read the other great stories on here, but Corporate Pilot sat, gnawing at me as it begged to be written. I couldn't take it anymore and started up again. I am very grateful to nevr as he is my beta and the gentle and consistent prodder to get me going again. I also want to thank my wife, though she will never see this since this genre isn't her thing, she is the Master Grammarian that makes this look so well.

When Chuck walked into his room, toweling off his curls, he heard the buzz of his phone on the dresser. it was Vivian with the address to her parents' house. Chuck stared at his phone after he had replied with thanks. He was still surprised that he had agreed to join the girls over at his boss's house for dinner. But then again, how could he say no? He shook his head, smiling to himself as he continued to get ready.

He had just entered the living room when there was a knock on the door. Chuck opened the door. There stood Ellie. "Hey, El. Is everything okay?"

"Well, Chuck, can I come in?" She sounded frazzled.

"Of course. Since when did I have to give you permission to come in?" Chuck scrunched his eyebrows as he gave her a playful mocking look.

"Stop giving me that look, ya creep. I don't know if it's such a good idea for you to go tonight. A lot has happened in the past, eighteen hours?" Ellie checked her watch to verify.

"You're not helping," Chuck admitted as he felt a pit form in his stomach. "But it was both Vivian and Sarah that came to me and asked if I would like to come over for dinner tonight."

"Don't you think Vivian is setting you up for an awkward situation? I mean, Alexei doesn't even know about us leaving right away. When he does, he's going to assume you aren't far behind. Are you going to tell him right there that, what, things have changed because there's a woman in your life?" Chuck noticed that El was not pacing anymore but was chewing her nails as she leaned against the island in the kitchen.

Chuck placed his hands on her shoulders to get her attention. "I'm not sure what's going to happen tonight, but I know that whatever happens, it'll be worth it."

"What if…" Chuck stopped his sister by putting his hand over her mouth. A surprised expression came over her face.

"I'm done with what ifs. Haven't I done that enough? I'm always concerned about screwing up and I overthink things to death, killing any chance I may have had. Last night, when Vivian told me I was clueless about the effect I had on women, I realized she was right."

Ellie pushed Chuck's hand away from her mouth. "Wait. She really said that to you?" Chuck nodded. "She was being pretty vulnerable admitting that even though she had feelings for you. Now she is rooting for you and Sarah?" Ellie tapped her finger on her lips, pondering what he had just said.

"What?"

"I think you should go," she suddenly blurted out.

Chuck was puzzled by his sister's sudden change of heart. "Uh, okay? I was. But why did you suddenly change your mind?"

"It's a combination of things, Chuck. Your confidence in wanting to do this, Vivian's openness as well as being almost a cheerleader for you two, and Sarah's obvious interest in you." Ellie leaned back, both her hands on the counter, looking more relaxed.

Chuck narrowed his eyes. "So, El. Tell me about breakfast this morning." His sister took on a nonchalant air, but a smile was breaking through. "Devon said that Sarah was asking about the gang from Green Bay. Is that true?"

"Mostly." Suddenly Ellie brought the tip of her thumb to her mouth like she was going to bite it so she wouldn't talk.

Chuck just waited. He knew his sister was going to break.

"Ok, fine. It sounds like she hasn't had the best of luck with a couple of previous relationships. She's reserved because she has been hurt, but that has nothing to do with her teasing."

"Oh, I'm very aware that she isn't shy," Chuck interjected.

"No. Teasing and being shy don't go hand-in-hand. I think the teasing is a friendly banter thing, like what you and Vivian do… did…whatever. The shy part comes in when she's in a group. This morning she said that she hasn't felt comfortable around a guy like she has around you. You have a..." Ellie paused as she tried to remember something.

"I have a disarming personality?" Chuck filled in the words for her.

"Yes! How did you know she said that? Those are the exact words she used." Ellie's confused face made Chuck smirk.

"She told me. She said it was a trait that drew people to me," Chuck shrugged his shoulders.

"People are comfortable around you because of it, Chuck. They say more than they mean to. Her admitting that to you is kind of a big deal…I think. Vivian's admitting to you her feelings last night and now helping her friend to get you and Sarah together…that can't be easy for her, Chuck. But you don't play games and she knows that." Chuck could tell that his sister was putting the pieces together. "Don't go rushing in either. She's not going to bolt, but there is pain there. And for her to show interest in you is probably a big step for her. It also might be another reason that Vivian backed off so quickly."

"Vivian didn't give me much about Sarah last night - " Chuck stopped when he saw Ellie shaking her head.

"Vivian is right. Sometimes you are clueless. With all your charm and disarming personality. Come on, Chuck! Vivian came to the realization that you and her were never going to be anything more than friends. Besides, tell me when she could have talked to Sarah and told her what she thought about you?"

Chuck felt silly while his sister painted the obvious picture for him.

"Uh huh." Ellie pushed away from the counter and lightly slapped the side of Chuck's face. "You're going to have to be more observant with Sarah. Somehow, I think you already are, but don't be so clueless."

Chuck turned as his sister walked to the doorway to leave his apartment. She turned and inspected him. "I've always liked that shirt, it brings out the color of your eyes. She's going to like that. Just remember, don't go rushing in. Let her set the pace for a little while. Text me if you won't be coming home tonight."

Chuck groaned and covered his face with his hand.

"Kidding!" she exclaimed as she opened the door and rested against the edge of it. Chuck noticed the door hadn't yet closed. He looked up and spotted a smile on his sister's face. "Have a fun time tonight." And with that, the door was closed.

Chuck pulled up to the address that Vivian had texted him. He wasn't sure if she was playing a joke on him or what. Before him was not a house, but a mansion. Before Chuck could figure out how to get in, the gate began to swing inward.

As he pulled in, Chuck noticed the fountain in the middle of the circular driveway and began to chuckle to himself. 'I guess people do live like this.' Movement past the fountain at the front door caught his attention. Alexei had lifted the beer in his hand towards Chuck.

Chuck rolled down the window as Alexei pointed towards the corner of the garage. "There's a spot next to the garage, just park over there."

"Will do!" yelled Chuck through his window as he swung his car around to locate the spot that Alexei was referring to.

After he parked the car, he took a deep breath before opening the door.

Alexei had come around the back of Chuck's car with another bottle of beer in hand. "Chuck, I'm pleased you could make it for dinner. I was wondering if you'd come or not." Alexei had a friendly smile for Chuck, relaxing him a little. "Here, I thought you'd appreciate this."

Chuck examined the bottle of beer in Alexei's hand before he took it, very confused. "Where…How…?" He shook his head in disbelief as he looked at the bottle of 3 Sheeps that he had had earlier today.

"What? The beer? Oh. The girls told me that you really enjoyed this beer this afternoon at your place. I checked with my sources if there was any around. I had them drop some off a little while ago."

"Seriously, Alexei, you didn't have to do this," Chuck said aloud as he wondered what the real story about the beer was. The only way that the beer had found its way here started with Sarah. He took the bottle from Alexei's hand. "But I'm also not going to decline such a nice offer."

Alexei lifted his bottle to Chuck. "Cheers!" After they both had taken a swig and nodded in mutual approval, Alexei continued. "Chuck, I need you to be straight with me. There is no wrong answer. I just want the truth." Chuck felt like the ground beneath him was about to open up. "Something happened last night and I would like to know what."

Chuck wasn't going to deflect, but Alexei had left the 'something' pretty vague. "A lot happened last night, and I'm not trying to be evasive. Can you be more specific?"

"About my daughter, Chuck. What happened between the two of you?" Alexei seemed to be asking very matter-of-factly. "Both her and Sarah have been here for a couple of hours and there is something different. I supposed I could ask them, but I wanted to hear it from you first." Alexei took another drink. "So?"

Chuck wanted to run, but he couldn't move. The connection from his brain to his feet was broken. He hadn't even been there three minutes and it was clear the very situation that he feared about was going to happen before he even got into the house, er, mansion. Chuck proceeded to tell Alexei everything that happened: Ellie and Devon's move, Vivian and his talk, her kissing him that led to their discussion.

When Chuck finally looked Alexei in the eye, he had a smirk. "Is that all? No blond-haired, blue-eyed individual to talk about?"

Chuck began to rub the back of his neck. "Well…uhhh…yeah…" He could feel his face heat up.

Suddenly, Alexei began to laugh. He then leaned against Chuck's car as his laugh turned into a belly laugh. "I'm sorry, Chuck. I wasn't sure how this was going to go, but you have your own way of making a potentially uncomfortable situation, bearable."

"You're welcome?" Chuck didn't know what to do. The conversation wasn't done, but he didn't know how else to respond so he shrugged. Still embarrassed, he took another swallow of beer.

After Alexei had recovered, he took another gulp before he continued. "Vivian called me early this afternoon wondering if it would be alright to have you over for dinner. I asked her how last night went and when she paused I knew something had happened. I asked her if she said or did anything to you and it was at that point that she told me everything. How she made a scene in front of everyone to kissing you out in the parking lot." Chuck could feel himself begin to panic and it must have showed on his face. "Chuck, it's okay. She also told me that you wouldn't let her walk away until the two of you talked through everything. The amount of respect she has for you is more now than it was before she showed up last night."

"I never meant to hurt her, Alexei…"

"I know, I know. That's what I was about to say. She was mad at herself for pushing you the way she did and got hurt in the process. I told her last night before she showed up that you were unaware of how much you affect women, but she didn't want to hear it. I think it finally hit her when she saw the way you looked at Sarah when they walked in last night and her jealousy got the best of her." Alexei paused to give Chuck a chance to say something.

"That's what she said last night, but I didn't think my reaction to Sarah was that obvious. I'm starting to realize that I'm the only one who thought that." Chuck shook his head, feeling naïve at having underestimated his reaction to Sarah.

Alexei started. "I think that after your talk with Vivian, she was able to collect herself and went straight to Sarah. She knows…"

"Whoa, wait. What do you mean Vivian went straight to Sarah?"

Alexei put a hand up. "Vivian knows that you're a pretty special guy. She told you last night, maybe not exactly like that, but in her own words. I think letting herself fall for you a little proved that as well." Alexei snickered when he saw Chuck's reaction. "She's in your corner, Chuck, and I think she's told Sarah that you're the real deal."

The conversation about what Vivian may have said to Sarah was crazy enough, but now on top of that this discussion was taking place with his boss. Chuck felt like slapping himself to make sure he wasn't in some weird dream. It wasn't until Chuck felt Alexei's hand on his shoulder that he was shaken from his thoughts.

"You still with me, Chuck?"

"It's just a lot to take in, Alexei. It's strange enough what Vivian is doing, but this conversation is happening with you. My boss." Chuck looked up when he felt shaking from Alexei's hand and noticed he was fighting back laughter.

"Oh, I get it, Chuck. It was one of the reasons I brought out the beer. Something to ease the tension." Alexei again leaned back against Chuck's car. "You did better than probably any guy in your shoes would have done, given the circumstances. I'm not patronizing you, trust me. I've tried to put myself in your shoes, and…let's just say I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."

Chuck nodded his head to acknowledge Alexei's words.

"Chuck. One last thing. Are you going to be moving up your timeline as well because of Ellie and Devon?"

And there it was. Chuck had to face the question that he had been asking himself since last night. Asking himself how he'd answer the question didn't have any implications, but telling Alexei did. "I think I'm putting my move to the Midwest on the back burner, Alexei. If you're okay with that?"

Alexei cocked his head as if a thought occurred to him, but just smiled. "I think that is a good choice. Are Ellie and Devon going to Chicago to look for a place anytime soon? I have a friend in the Chicago area that I'd like to visit and I would like to take them out there, maybe for a long weekend."

Chuck was dumbfounded by what Alexei had just offered. "I have no idea what they're planning."

"Chuck, I will only accept 'yes' for an answer. Just let me know when they want to go and I'll make it work."

"Ok. I will talk to them and follow up with you."

There was a comfortable silence as they both tipped back their bottles of 3 Sheeps. Chuck felt the line between employee and friend suddenly blur. As if Alexei read his mind, he started up again. "I'm just going to say out loud what we're probably both thinking. You are my employee, Chuck. But you've more than proven yourself over the past couple of years that I don't need to worry about anything. My jet. My family. Even my daughter. You have taken nothing for granted and I have a lot of respect for that. For you. You're more than just an employee to me." Alexei nodded his head towards his house. "I don't allow just anyone over to my personal residence."

Out of the corner of his eye, Chuck saw Alexei turn to look at him. "I know you wouldn't Alexei, and I'm trying to wrap my head around that. I mean, I know what you mean, but to admit to myself what that means, is a little unsettling."

"You can throw another 'mean' in there if you want, Chuck, I won't stop you." Alexei bumped Chuck with his elbow, letting him know he was giving him a hard time.

Another moment passed before Alexei pushed away from the car. "Come on, let's go in. I know the girls are waiting for you. I just wanted to get this conversation out of the way so that you weren't on pins and needles the whole night waiting for the axe to fall at some point. I'm sure the girls will give you the tour of the place. If they do, grab another beer, it takes awhile."

Chuck followed Alexei, then paused. "Alexei, I have one more question."

"Shoot."

"How do you know Sarah?"

He considered Chuck for a moment. "We've been friends with Jack and Emma before the girls were even born. We treat each other's kids like our own. I'm sure at some point you'll meet them. I even invited them over tonight, but they had other plans." Alexei turned and led the way to the front door.

Chuck ran his fingers through his hair as he caught up to Alexei. "No offense, but for the sake of my sanity, I'm glad I didn't meet them tonight."

Alexei chuckled. "I get it."

When they got to the front door, Alexei opened it for Chuck. "I'll take you to the upper veranda where the four girls are so that I can finish getting dinner ready." A smirk materialized on his face.

"Four?"

Alexei patted Chuck's shoulder. "You may have thanked me prematurely. Your sanity may yet be tested tonight."

Chuck should have looked around more as Alexei lead him to the back of the house. All he could remember was that it was a long walk with lots of windows. He heard the four women talking as they drew closer to the set of French doors that led out onto the veranda.

Alexei stopped short of the doorway, holding up his hand to stop Chuck. Alexei then took a few more steps and announced as he walked through the doorway, "Ladies, I found someone meandering around outside. He said he was told to come to this address. Can you help me out?"

Alexei waved Chuck in. As Chuck walked through the doorway, Sarah, Vivian and Evelyn all looked over and let out a surprised "Chuck!" in unison. The fourth woman, a tall red head, seemed to take Chuck in.

Not used to being the center of attention, especially with women, Chuck felt the heat rise up his neck as he raised his hand to wave. "Hi, ladies! I need to correct Alexei by saying I wasn't technically meandering around." This drew laughter from everyone, including Alexei, who excused himself to go finish dinner. Before he left, Alexei told the girls to be gentle with Chuck, which earned a groan and then giggling from all four of them.

Chuck took in his surroundings. From what he could gather during his drive up, the Volkoffs lived above Runyon Canyon Park, in Hollywood Hills. The view from the veranda was breathtaking. The property overlooked the canyon which sat above the LA basin. The lights of the city twinkled like a million stars below in a different array of colors and patterns. The veranda itself wrapped around the house to the left with enough seating for at least twenty people.

When Chuck focused his attention back on the girls, he didn't even know where to start the conversation. He decided to start with the obvious. "The view is amazing up here."

"It sure is," teased the red head, batting her eyes at Chuck, taking his comment out-of-context.

Chuck gulped, unsure of how to respond. He didn't even know who this woman was and she was already starting with innuendos. He saw Sarah look over at her friend with fire in her eyes. "Carina. Don't even think about it! You will not start in on Chuck like that." Without missing a beat, she then turned to Chuck. "Chuck, this is my roommate and good friend of mine, Carina Miller. Please excuse her comment, it was veryyy…unbecoming of her." Sarah turn to give her friend a flat look.

Chuck felt the warmth from Sarah's standing up to her roommate flow through him like a wave. As he walked over to Carina, Sarah moved over to make room for him on the outdoor couch. "It's nice to meet you, Carina." Chuck leaned over and pointed down into the valley. "That's the view you were obviously talking about, right?"

It was Carina's turn to get flustered. As her face reddened, she turned away. "Nice to, uh, meet you, Chuck. Of course I meant that view, not sure why you guys took it any other way."

Chuck straightened up as something whizzed past his face.

"Oomph," wheezed Carina as a pillow hit her square in the face.

"And that pillow wasn't meant to hit you in the face either," Sarah sarcastically said, a satisfied smile on her face.

"OK! OK! Uncle. Sheesh, Blondie. So protective all of a sudden."

Chuck glanced over at Sarah who had stared at her friend with her mouth open from her friend's comment. "Well, Carina. I think Sarah is just looking out for you. She doesn't want my first impression of you to be a flirt. Isn't that right, Sarah?"

The look on Sarah's face was worth Chuck stepping out and embarrassing Carina. "That's right, Chuck, so please excuse her immaturity." Sarah couldn't keep a straight face and began to laugh.

Carina looked between Chuck and Sarah, trying to figure out what Sarah and he were up to. Chuck noticed Sarah and Carina share a look between each other and didn't understand what it meant. He left it alone, not wanting to create another embarrassing moment.

"I need to apologize, Chuck, for not coming last night," Evelyn started, "A good friend of mine showed up and we went to another party to surprise another friend of ours. But from what I've heard, Sarah's taking my place worked out just fine."

Chuck knew he was busted, and by the look on Evelyn's face she knew he was too. "I swear, the three of you," Chuck motioned at Vivian, Evelyn, and Carina, "are seeking any and every opportunity to embarrass me. To answer your question, yes, I was pleased that Sarah was the surprise guest last night."

"Pleased? Is that all, Chuck?" Sarah questioned with an amused look on her face. "Vicky Vale and all?"

'This woman is going to be the death of me,' thought Chuck before he said, "I stand corrected, the four of you."

All four girls burst out laughing at Chuck's response. He felt a hand on his shoulder and realized that it was Sarah's. He wanted to melt, starting at the point where her hand was. "I'm giving you a hard time. Please forgive me," whispered Sarah in Chuck's ear. Her voice was like a lightning bolt that shot right through him.

Chuck pulled away slightly to turn and look at her. He hadn't been prepared for how close she was going to be when he faced her. Time seemed to suddenly stop. Her blue eyes: he wanted to get completely lost in them. Then he remembered that there were others there, watching.

He felt a light squeeze on his shoulder. "I like your eyes too," he heard her whisper. He couldn't stop smiling.

"Oh gosh, Sarah. Leave the guy alone already!" joked Vivian.

Evelyn piped up. "Now that Carina and Chuck have met each other, let's go find something to drink." This was met with a unanimous approval and suddenly the intense moment that had hung in the air was gone. They made their way to the bar that was in the maze of rooms. Chuck followed behind. He peered into each room as they passed by, marveling at the spectacle of it all.

"A little ridiculous." Chuck's look on his face was just verbalized by what Sarah said.

"This place is obnoxious, but awesome at the same time."

"I know. They've only lived here a couple years and got it for an insanely cheap price. Vivian never told me how much. I guess Alexei got it for a fraction of what it's worth. Come on. We don't want to get separated from the others. They're just looking for ways to embarrass us and there's no reason for us to make it easy for them," she said with a teasing smile.

Chuck smiled back. "Don't want that."

Chuck and Sarah caught up to the other three and for the next twenty minutes the conversation stayed light. Everyone chatted about what they had done for New Years. Chuck noticed how Vivian and Sarah made sure they steered clear of some details that had happened the night before at Chuck's party, trading glances with him once in awhile to make sure he did the same.

Chuck pushed back from the table, thoroughly stuffed. It had been hard to stop eating. Alexei had smoked five racks of pork spare ribs. Whatever rub he had used on those ribs, Chuck was going to get the recipe from him. The corn bread casserole as well as green beans with bacon had hit the spot.

Chuck patted his stomach. "Alexei. Martha. I love BBQ and it's meals like that when I hate getting full." Everyone murmured in agreement at Chuck's comment.

Alexei smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, Chuck. I got a new pellet smoker grill for Thanksgiving. We ended up smoking a turkey and it turned out pretty good."

"Yeah, and he's been going crazy on it ever since," Vivian cut in.

"I've noticed you haven't complained about one thing that has come from the smoker either. Any of you." Alexei started pointing with his fork around the table at the rest of the girls."

"Mr. Volkoff…" They all started to say at the same time before he put his hands up and began to chuckle.

"Kidding, girls, kidding. Wow!" Alexei motioned towards the door. "Why don't you ladies take Chuck out on the trail to walk off all that food he ate? Make sure to take flashlights even though there's a full moon."

Fortunately, Chuck had worn hiking shoes, so he was ready to go. The girls had slippers on, so they left to go find their shoes.

While they were gone, Chuck helped Alexei and Martha clean up the dishes. "Chuck, I just want to say thank you for being the gentleman that you are," Martha started up. "Alexei told me what you had to deal with last night with our oldest. I'm sorry that she didn't know when to stop. She's never acted like that before. I know she likes to tease you, but to let her emotions get the best of her…I hope Sarah knows how lucky she is."

Chuck gawked at Martha. "Chuck," Martha said, then started to snicker and motioning for him to close his mouth. "You'd have to be blind to not see that there is something between you and Sarah. I'm sure that is why Vivian graciously stepped aside. They are close friends and she is really encouraging Sarah to see if you two can work."

Chuck didn't realize he was holding his breath until he took one. Alexei and Martha shook their heads, grinning. "Sorry, thinking too hard." Chuck ducked his head when both adult Volkoffs started to laugh at his antics.

Chuck heard the girls come in, he could tell they were in a very animated discussion, oblivious to the elder Volkoffs trying to compose themselves.

"Ready, Chuck?" Vivian asked.

"Sure am. Let's go." Chuck immediately responded.

Chuck noticed a puzzled look on Sarah's face as she regarded the Volkoffs, trying to compose themselves and Chuck's slightly surprised face. She stared at him with a raised eyebrow mouthing, 'What?'.

'Later' he mouthed, trying to hide his smile.

The Volkoff property was situated right next to the trail, so it was easy to jump on and start walking. The four had been hiking on the West Ridge Hiking Trail for a little over half an hour. They had walked to the bottom of the canyon and were making their way back up. The trail was wide enough to walk side-by-side. In front was Carina, followed by Vivian and Evelyn, and in back were Chuck and Sarah. He appreciated that they didn't have to keep the pace since they had started to lag back a little bit from the other three.

Chuck noticed Evelyn bump Vivian and nod back towards Sarah and him. Vivian glanced over her shoulder, teasing, "You two seem to be falling behind. Everything ok?"

"Don't worry about us, we're fine." Chuck shot Vivian a friendly glance.

Chuck could feel Sarah study him for a couple seconds and then spoke just loud enough for only him to hear. "So. What was going on in the kitchen just before we walked in?"

"Vivian told me that I needed to tell you about my concerns right away and not keep it inside." Sarah's demeanor was instantly more subdued.

"You don't work for the government or anything crazy like that, do you? No ex-boyfriends that will show up that I have to compete with?"

Sarah shook her head with amusement. Chuck felt like he at least had given Sarah a way to have a soft landing for whatever she was about to say. "Nothing like that, you dork." She grew more serious. "No. I have been in a couple bad relationships and come with some baggage. Vivian told me that I didn't have to worry about that with you. She explained how you handled what happened in the parking lot last night. I'll be honest, I was speechless. One, that you still treated her with respect. And two, she came to me right after talking to you and told me I'd be crazy not to pursue something with you. I mean, who does that?"

It felt like a tidal wave had crashed into him. He didn't know where to start. Before he knew what he was saying, he blurted out, "I could be your baggage handler."

Sarah was speechless. She stared and him and finally said, "Chuck. Aren't you a baggage handler already?"

He struck a pose, pretending to be deep in thought. "Yeah, I guess you can say that I already am."

She waved at him, "Come on, Einstein, let's keep walking." Sarah waited for him and continued up the trail.

They walked in silence for a couple minutes as Chuck organized his thoughts.

"Sarah…"

"Chuck…"

They both nervously laughed.

"You go first, Sarah."

"No, Chuck. I want to hear what you have to say first."

Chuck started. "Ok. I'll go first." He paused to take a breath. "I don't want to push you, Sarah. We've known each other for less than twenty-four hours. Everybody is saying this or that about us. In a way, that's not fair. For either of us. I appreciate their excitement. Don't get me wrong, maybe there is something. I don't want you to feel pressured by what they think."

"But I do."

"Feel pressured?"

"No, Chuck. I think there is something." Chuck thought she sounded almost exasperated. "Why would I feel pressured? You have gone out of your way to make me feel anything but pressured. I want to be friends first before we become anything else. I want to get to know you."

Chuck could feel himself start to get concerned. The 'friends' word was nearly always the death knell for anything more. "I can be okay with friends, but it would kill me if I saw you with another guy, Sarah."

Sarah took a step closer to Chuck as they continued to walk, a teasing look in her eyes. "Chuck, are you getting possessive already?"

Chuck started to stumble over his words, but Sarah's hand gripped his, stopping his blundering. He stared down at their joined hands. Without realizing it, he smiled.

"I think that smile you have is letting me know that you understand that you have nothing to worry about."

Chuck shifted his focus from their joined hands to Sarah's face. "I do."

Sarah did not let go of his hand as they walked in comfortable silence. Chuck had a hard time focusing on walking and having continued contact with her. He heard her giggle quietly.

Chuck glanced over. "What?"

She scanned the trail, amused. "That's still a pretty big grin you have going on there, Bartowski." Sarah turned to consider him.

Chuck held her gaze for second, then looked away. "Sure is, Walker."

Chuck and Sarah could see the flashlight beams of the three girls just ahead of them. Chuck reluctantly released her hand, which was followed by a soft 'thank you' from her.

"Come on, Blondie, we have to get going!" yelled Carina from above. "We have to be at work early, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," shot back Sarah. She turned to Chuck, her voice timid. "Can I have your phone?"

Chuck couldn't get his phone out fast enough and that was magnified by the fact that he was fumbling around so much.

Sarah covered her mouth with the back of her hand, stifling a laugh that was trying to escape. She took the phone from Chuck and quickly typed something. She handed the phone back to him without looking at him.

They had reached the top of the hill when Sarah turned to him. "I need to run inside and get my stuff. Don't leave. Ok?"

"Sure, no problem. I wanted to thank the Volkoffs anyways for making dinner for us tonight."

All five of them walked into the house. The girls continued upstairs while Chuck stayed behind to talk to the Volkoffs who were sitting at the kitchen bar having a glass of wine.

"How was the walk?" asked Alexei.

"It was great! You have a really nice place here, guys. And situated right next to the trail. That's a bonus."

Martha had just put her glass down. "It's not a house we'd normally live in, but it was hard to pass it up for the price with the view and all. I'm really glad you decided to come tonight, Chuck."

"I was a little hesitant, as you can imagine, but I am glad I came too. Thank you guys so much for making that meal. I'm ready for seconds actually."

Laughter came from the three of them. Then Martha chimed in, "You are probably half-serious too. We didn't have boys, but I can imagine that your appetite always existed when you were growing up."

Chuck nodded, "Yes it did." Both Volkoffs smiled.

Just then, the four girls came into the kitchen. Vivian and Evelyn had changed into yoga pants and extra long hoodies, while Sarah and Carina were dressed to leave.

"Thanks so much, Mom and Dad, for dinner and everything," Sarah said as she hugged them.

"Oh, sweetie, anytime," Martha said as she gave Sarah a big hug.

Alexei hugged Sarah as well and whispering something into Sarah's ear that Chuck couldn't hear. He notice Sarah gave Alexei a shy look when she pulled away.

Carina gave her thanks to both Volkoffs as well.

The five of them proceeded to the front door, everyone saying their good-byes. Vivian came up to Chuck and whispered, "She's pretty excited that you came tonight and I'm glad you did too." She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek before pulling away.

As the three walked out, Sarah came alongside Chuck. "When will I see you again?"

Chuck couldn't think past the last twenty-four hours, much less anything in the future. "I'm not sure. So much has happened in the past day that I can barely think about tomorrow. Can I text you tomorrow afternoon to see what's going on?"

Sarah gave him a tender smile. "Can I text you when I get done with work? I'm not sure how long my dad's appointment will be."

Chuck could only nod. He wasn't sure if Sarah was aware, but she had placed one of her hands on his arm. Her touch made Chuck lose focus. A small smile came to her face. Without warning, Sarah got taller and kissed him on his cheek. "I had a really good time today, this morning, and last night."

Chuck could feel her breath on his ear and her hair on his neck. It was lovely. "I had a great time today, this morning, and last night, as well." The look she gave him made him want to tell her everything about how he felt about her.

Sarah turned to walk to Carina's car, where Carina was waiting. Chuck stood there watching her walk away.

"Bye, Curls.," Carina waved as she got into the car.

"Curls?" Chuck questioned. Carina shrugged one shoulder. "Bye, Carina."

Just before Sarah got in the car, she looked up. "Bye, Chuck."

"Bye, Sarah."

It was ten o'clock when Chuck walked into his apartment to be greeted by Morgan. "So? How did it go?"

Chuck told Morgan about how Alexei had ambushed him before he had even gotten in the door and what happened at the party. "Was it awkward?"

"It could have been much worse, but he had 3 Sheeps in hand."

"How…Where…" Morgan had a puzzled expression, much like Chuck had earlier.

"No idea, and he wouldn't tell me, so I dropped it. He did tell me that he wants to take Ellie and Devon to Chicago so they could find a place. He has a friend there that he sees, and he would tie in that visit with the trip for my sister."

Morgan face said it all. "Was he serious, Chuck?" But there was something else.

"Why, Morgan?"

"No. No reason at all." Morgan started to whistle and looked everywhere but at Chuck.

"Spill it. Now." Chuck half joking.

Morgan rolled his eyes and plopped on the couch. "Do you think Alexei would have a problem with my driving up to Green Bay? I know he likes to have us around the plane in case anything pops up. But I wonder if he'd care this time around given the reason we're going out."

Chuck decided to play dumb and see if Morgan would tell him the real reason he wanted to go. "You'd drive up to Green Bay to see Jeff and Lester?"

Morgan struggled to come up with a good reason. "Actually, Chuck, I'd go up and see Alex, as well as Jeff and Lester." Chuck laughed to himself when Morgan rushed in the last part.

"I don't want to make any promises, and assuming my sister takes up Alexei's offer, but I'm sure he'd be okay with you going up. Maybe I will too, so I can hang out with Jeffster." Chuck suddenly yawned. "It's been a long day, Morg. I'll talk to my sister tomorrow and see what she says about flying out to Chicago on the jet."

Morgan nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it would be pretty cool. Quite the surprise." Morgan got a faraway look on his face.

Chuck started towards his bedroom, leaving Morgan to whatever thoughts he was having. "See you in the morning."

His bearded friend offered no response

Chuck woke up to the buzzing of his phone. He didn't want to move, but then it buzzed again. 'What the heck.' Chuck grabbed his phone, frustrated. That frustration disappeared when he saw who it was from.

"Hey, Chuck. Bad news. My dad's trip got extended a few more days so I'm stuck with him out here in New York. I was looking forward to hanging out either today or tomorrow with you. Maybe next weekend?"

Sarah's second text had followed soon after her first one.

"I'm sorry."

Chuck sighed. He was looking forward to seeing Sarah.

"Hey! No worries. I'm a little bummed, but we'll figure something out. There might be a trip next weekend, but it's not for sure yet."

"I'm bummed too. If the trip goes, what's the destination?"

"Maybe Chicago."

"Chicago? For what?"

"Alexei offered to take Ellie and Devon to Chicago so they can find a place. Apparently, he has a friend out there that he visits and he's going to tie that visit in with taking them out."

"WHAT?! No way! That is so awesome of him to offer."

"I know. I haven't told Ellie yet. And I don't even know if next weekend would work. I'm just assuming that, since their window is so small."

A text from Ellie popped up. "Hey. I need to talk to you. Can I come over?"

"Sure, come over."

Back to Sarah.

"Ellie is coming over now, I'm going to talk to her about Alexei's offer. I'll let you know what she says."

"Sounds good. Bye sad face"

"Sigh...Bye."

Chuck had just walked into the kitchen when Ellie entered.

"What are you laughing at, Chuck?" Ellie asked as she sat on the barstool.

"Oh, I don't know." Chuck started, as he ground the coffee beans. "Yesterday you knocked at the door and wouldn't come in until I said it was okay. Today you just waltz right in." He turned to face his sister after he started the coffee maker.

His sister stared at him. "Just shut it. My reason for coming over here is that Devon and I are going to Chicago next weekend to look for a place. We don't want to leave our truck at the airport. Sooo, I'm wondering if you could take us? I'll make you chocolate chip cookies when I get back."

Chuck put on a sober face. "I'd really like to El, but I have a trip next weekend."

"That means Morgan is gone too. Crap."

"I have a better idea. How about you come with us because the trip is going to Chicago." Chuck couldn't hide his grin anymore.

"What are you talking about? And why are you smiling like that?"

"Alexei told me that whenever you and Devon decided to go to Chicago, he'd fly you guys out. He has a friend there that he visits and he told me that he would tie his visit with taking you guys." Chuck leaned over on his elbows. "And, El. He won't take no for an answer."

Ellie sat up straight on her barstool. She blinked…nothing came out of her mouth. "I'll tell Alexei that you begrudgingly accepted his offer," Chuck teased.

Ellie blinked back tears. "Chuck, there is no way we can afford to pay Alexei for the flight."

He shook his head. "You won't have to pay for anything. Knowing Alexei, he's probably going to have rooms set up for you guys as well." Chuck put his hands up to fend off any potential excuse she was going to say. "Just go with it, El. You know what? Make chocolate chip cookies for the jet."

"Oh, I'm going to make a whole meal, Chuck." Ellie said with determination.

Chuck pulled out his phone to text Alexei.

"Hey Alexei. Talked to my sister about their trip to Chicago. They were planning to go next weekend. Of course, she put up a fuss, but she eventually accepted with some prompting from me."

Chuck put his phone down and looked up at this sister. "How long were you guys going to be in Chicago?" He interrupted her thoughts.

"Uh, the plan was Thursday through Monday, but whatever is convenient for Alexei. Chuck, seriously. I'm in unfamiliar territory right now." His sister was flustered.

Chuck put his arm around his sister's shoulder. "Listen. Alexei came to me about this last night already. He knew you would not want to accept his offer, that's why I offered to you instead."

Chuck's phone buzzed. He could see it was Alexei.

"Hey, Chuck. Lol, that's great to hear. Let's plan next Thursday through Monday then. Text me what time they want to leave Thursday and we'll be ready. And tell your sister to relax, we're going to have a good time."

"Sounds good. I'll text you later."

Chuck looked up from his phone at his sister. "Well, Sis, next Thursday we're heading to Chicago."