A/N: I am TRYING to follow California licensing law the best I can. If I mess it up… sorry. Also, I am so sorry for confusing some of you, it was never my intention. Jack is in the hospital. I was referring to Emma and Sarah, not Sarah and Molly, and that will become much clearer as to why as I go forward. I'm trying guys. I have a feeling I'm about to Steampunk this and it go WAY past Christmas.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Chuck and Carina were staring at the screen, and they both slowly tilted their head to the side at a forty-five-degree angle.

"Why the tentacles, Chuck? Why so many?"

"It's always the damn tentacles," Chuck told her, shaking his head in disgust. "So many tentacles. I don't know what it is about this type of hentai that requires so many tentacles."

"So, this is what you're doing instead of helping Zondra and I… Jesus Christ!" Carina shook her head, watching what was happening on the screen. "Flexible, aren't they?" Carina shuddered, seeing the action.

"Believe me, I'd rather be helping you and Zondra," Chuck told her. "But this is the last one of the bunch." Chuck shut down the computer, not yet ready to deal with it. He spun his chair around toward Carina, who was still staring at the monitor, her mouth gaping in shock.

"Listen, I'm a big girl, who has done some freaky shit-" she began.

"Carina," Chuck said with a warning tone.

"-but that is some messed up stuff," she finished. She shook her head, and turned back to Chuck. "Now, about why I'm here. We need to talk… plumbing."

"For once, I really wish that was a sexual innuendo," he muttered.

"Gotta rip it out," she told him. Chuck dropped his head back and groaned. "Zondra thinks this will up the value of the house."

"It's not that, it's the time it's going to take," Chuck told her. Carina nodded and grinned. Chuck made a face. "I guess it's time I log some more apprenticeship hours?"

"Chuck, you have enough hours to apply to be either an electrician or a plumber," she told him. "You just don't want to do anything that will require you to move forward. You're scared."

"That's a lie," Chuck retorted. "I'm in this business with you two." He paused for a second. "Although being in business with you two is scary."

"What you do is safe for you," Carina fired back. "You know I'm right."

"Maybe," he said, shrugging. He didn't feel like fighting this battle again, so he tried to change the subject. "Let me finish this computer, and I'll come down there and help you rip out the plumbing. Do you have an estimate of how much materials are going to cost?"

Carina winced as she pulled out her phone, typed something and hit a button, causing her phone to make a whoosh sound. Chuck's phone dinged. He pulled up what Carina sent him, and closed his eyes.

"But we can raise the price of it when we sell," she reminded him, as cheerfully as she could.

"Are the pipes flushed?" he asked, his eyes still closed. When he didn't hear an answer, he opened his eyes and looked at her. She had a pained expression on her face. "Is there any good news?"

"There's a wall that we need to knock down?" Carina offered. Chuck groaned, dropped his head back, and looked up at the ceiling.

}o{

The next morning, Chuck walked into the hospital, carrying a wrapped present. It had taken him longer than he'd thought to finish restoring the computer. Carina hadn't even bugged him about not coming down to help on their current project. He knew it was bad when Zondra sent him a meme of some alien looking thing with a bunch of tentacles. It wasn't hentai, just some animated monster, but it made Chuck shudder, nonetheless.

"Chuckster," he heard Devon boom, pulling him out of his thoughts. "What brings you here?"

"I need you to give this to my sister," Chuck told him.

"She's on another floor," Devon began.

"No," Chuck said, cutting him off. He couldn't see Sarah again, see the pain she was in. Knowing her father was losing the battle he was fighting… "I don't know if I could take seeing her again, now knowing what she's been through." Devon gave him a confused look. "Not Ellie… Sarah." Devon nodded, understanding. "She was hurting so bad the last time I saw her…" He trailed off. He held the package toward Devon, who took it.

"I know you had to do some gnarly shit to get this," Devon began. "Thank you," he said solemnly. Chuck nodded. "It doesn't look good for him."

"Yeah, tell her…" Chuck trailed off. "You know what, just make sure they get it."

"Chuck, you sure?"

"Yeah," he said, heading back toward the elevator. "I hope this makes them smile." Devon nodded, watching Chuck get on the elevator. The doors closed, and Devon stood there, wondering what was going on in Chuck's head.

}o{

"Sarah," Ellie said gently. Sarah shook her head, and blinked her eyes. She had fallen asleep. Her father was in and out of sleep. He was struggling, and it looked to be a matter of when, not if. "We were able to find it." She jumped up out of the chair, and wrapped her arms around the brunette.

"Thank you," she nearly sobbed. She pulled away a little embarrassed by the emotion she had shown. "I hope you didn't spend a lot of money-"

"Hey, I can tell you not one penny was spent on this," Ellie assured her. That was true. Time and labor – a lot of it – yes, but money itself? No.

"I tried to find a copy at a Buy More the other day, and there was this nice guy who tried to help me, but apparently…"

"I know a guy," Ellie told her. "He pulled some strings."

"Ellie," Sarah began.

"Hey, consider it an early Christmas gift," Ellie told Sarah. Sarah took the Laserdisc and just stared at it.

"Possibly his last one," Sarah said. She looked up at Ellie, and the brunette couldn't dispute it. She just nodded, understanding. Sarah gave her another hug, took a deep breath, and turned. "Dad, look what I have," she said, holding up the Laserdisc.

Ellie left… it felt like a family moment, and possibly one of their last.

A/N: Dang David, this is a little sad. Is it gonna get better? Next time:

"Does Sarah know what Chuck did about getting that Laserdisc?" Carina shook her head. "Huh."

"What, huh?" Carina asked. "Why did you huh like that?"

"It sounds like the plot of one of those weird, dopey-ass, Hallmark movies Ellie likes to watch," Zondra said in a low voice. "Especially a Christmas one."

*Sips tea and grins* Listen, I may be slow right now, but…I'm still me. Thanks for bearing with me.