A/N: Hi. So, the updates may not come for a few days because I still have no internet, I'm trying to do this at home over my phone data, and everyone is using their phone data and nothing is getting done. Hopefully Friday we have internet…hopefully, but for those of you who've seen the pictures…well, let me just tell you that 4k residences in Bowling Green are still without power. I appreciate your patience, love, prayers, and everything. I really want a very boring life. On with our story.

Dislcaimer: I don't own Chuck

The rest of the week had been focused on Emma's new house. Carina did her best not to tease Chuck about the date on Friday, and no matter how hard any of the three of them tried, they couldn't find out what Chuck had planned.

Sarah snickered as she heard Carina tell Zondra that Sarah wasn't trying too hard to find out, because if Sarah really wanted to, she could in no time at all.

Sarah found herself in a strange spot. For most of her life, surprises were not a good thing. Things being kept from her was for her "own good". Not knowing where she was going was done for her safety, and now, as an adult she wanted to know what was going on.

However, for some reason she couldn't explain, this was different. She knew there was a good reason Chuck wouldn't tell her, and she didn't want to spoil it for him.

It was Friday, at 3 o'clock when it happened. "I'm telling you, that's what she wants," Sarah told him.

"And I'm telling you that's gonna stretch the budget," Chuck retorted.

"There's no wiggle room at all?" Sarah asked.

"No, not unless…I mean, I would have to get very creative…and that's not my…well…" She laid a hand on his arm and he looked at her. "Maybe I shouldn't be the one doing the money."

"Serious question, are you more careful with money now than before?" She didn't say before what, but they both knew exactly what she meant. He nodded. "Too careful? And-and I'm not asking this to get my way, I'm just wondering."

"Maybe, I don't know," he admitted.

"Okay," she said, nodding. "Listen I'm going to go finish that counter and maybe we look at this with fresh eyes on Monday, and if it's a no, it's a no." She shrugged, turned, and headed back into the other room.

"Shit, I've ruined it," Chuck muttered.

"There it is," Carina said.

"This is where we're forced to get involved," Zondra replied, both walking up to either side of Chuck. "How many times have you told us no?"

"Dozens," Chuck answered. "But…but this is different."

"I mean, we get that," Carina said with a shrug. "I'd ruin you for life, and Zondra…well if you were the last man on earth she wouldn't."

"You went out with a guy nick-named Scooter," Chuck protested.

"I have my standards," Zondra said with a shrug. "And you just don't live up to them." Her and Carina both started laughing.

"Do all the men Carina date never want to have sex again, or is she saying that she would be especially bad with me?" Carina stopped laughing at that, and Zondra just laughed harder.

"Wait," Carina began.

"What, did you think you're the only one that sling barbs?" Chuck asked her, grinning.

"I think the student has surpassed the master," Zondra quipped. "How about you go talk to Sarah and let me deal with Miss Hurt Feelings over here." Chuck nodded and headed off. "Are we gonna follow them on their date?"

"No, I don't need to see him cry if it goes badly," Carina replied. "Besides, he's gotta fly some time."

Chuck made his way into the kitchen where Sarah was finishing up on the counter. "Looks good, real good."

"Thanks," Sarah chirped. "I don't know if you know it, but I am able to be irritated with Chuck my boss and not with Chuck my …friend…my rock."

"If you think about it, I guess it's a sign of respect that I just don't give into your every whim because I'm your boss," Chuck added.

Sarah laid down her sander and looked up at him. "Whim?" she asked.

"Uh, I mean…." Sarah began to laugh. "Do you enjoy messing with me?"

"I do," Sarah admitted. "You know it would be soooo wrong of me to say I wouldn't be that upset with you if you just told me where we were going."

"I thought you said you could distinguish between your boss Chuck and your….friend Chuck?"

"Well done," she murmured, smiling at him. "You know that's what people do." He looked like he didn't understand. "They can have disagreements, but that doesn't mean they fight, or they part ways on bad terms." Something hit her. "Chuck, you don't think…" She couldn't finish.

"That Morgan left this Earth thinking that I was irritated with him for wanting to game that morning?"

There was silence between them, and then she came around the corner and hugged him. "Is this work Sarah or my friend Sarah?"

"It's your Sarah," she told him. He held onto her hard, not sure what to make of any of this.

}o{

"Carina said if I don't come back to work on Monday she's gonna tell the cops you did it," Sarah told Chuck as they were driving to where ever it was they were going. Chuck still refused to tell her what was up.

"Listen, we've all seen you hit those walls, you and I both know if I tried anything untoward you'd beat me up and twist me like pretzel," Chuck replied, making her giggle.

"Ooo, that sounds good," Sarah told him. "A warm pretzel, some hot chocolate."

"You have some high expectations on your date," Chuck told her.

"Well, I have the best guy I know taking me out on a date," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. Chuck glanced over at her, blushing a bit, but still held her gaze. "You okay about earlier?"

"Yeah," Chuck replied. "And I never really answered you earlier, so…I used to think maybe he did think I was mad at him, but now…now I don't. I think I've given myself a little grace with everything that happened. I didn't kill him, I tried to save the company, but didn't know how, and maybe that experience led me to where I am today."

"I think it has," Sarah told him. "I think you working with Carina and Zondra was made possible by all you went through."

"It was," Chuck replied. He was silent for a second. "But I wasn't just talking about work." He went quiet, his right hand was on the console between them. She reached over and squeezed it. She then wiped the sweat that had transfered to her hand onto her jeans and took it back in hers. "Sorry."

"I don't know why I make you so nervous," she told him, a smile on her face.

"Have you met you?" The smile on her face grew. A few minutes later he parked the car, got out, walked around, and opened her door for her.

"Well," she said as she got out. "A proper gentlemen."

"I try," he said with a shrug. "So, I think you wanted a pretzel and some hot chocolate?" Sarah gave him a look. "Sarah, come on, it's me." He took her hand and led her to a concession stand. She looked around at all the small shops.

"Chuck, can you tell me where we are?"

"You once said you wished you could go to the park to hear Christmas music," Chuck began. Her mouth dropped. He remembered that conversation. No one had ever really paid attention to things like that before. "So, this is the Christmas village. Stores from all around town have these little booths set up. It's open all weekend, but at night, you have these lights, and a live band."

"Chuck," she began. She stopped because she had no idea what to say to him.

"I mean, I hesitated to call it a date, because I basically took you to an outdoor shopping mall but-" That was as far as he got, because she turned to him, grabbed his cheeks and kissed him. When she pulled back he saw something in her eyes he didn't know he had ever seen in Jill's. He saw a warmth there. A love that he didn't know how to describe. He thought he must be hallucinating, because they hadn't known each other long. No one could care about someone that quickly, could they.

"Chuck, you could have taken me to a fancy restaurant in Paris, climbed the Eiffel Tower, and it wouldn't hold a candle to this." Chuck blinked, stunned. "Chuck, you listened to me. You heard me talk about what I wanted, you remembered, and then you did this for me."

"Of course I did," Chuck replied, still not understanding.

"You still don't get it do you?" He shook his head. "This is just what you do and who you are." He nodded. "And that's why I feel about you the way I do."

"Sarah, earlier…you said you were my Sarah, what does that mean?" She was silent for a moment and then she heard the music and her eyes lit up. "Come on, let's get closer," Chuck said, wanting her to hear the music better.

"Only if I get to answer your question later?" Chuck nodded. She took his hand and the two headed off to get closer to the live music.

}o{

As they headed back to the Bartowski residence, Sarah wondered if it was possible to be any fuller with love. She was warm, whether it was from the pretzel and hot chocolate, or Chuck with his arm around her shoulder as she snuggled against him…it was definitely the latter.

She also realized something that she had known, but just hadn't put it all together. Chuck Bartowski wasn't "pulling out all the stops" for her. He was simply being himself, and in the past, that hadn't been enough for whoever he was with.

She wondered how much of his holding onto Morgan was because of how alone he felt over Jill leaving him. She wondered how hard Jill had tried to make things work, or was their relationship already over and she simply cut bait and left.

As they pulled up to the house, a song began to play on the radio, and she stopped him from turning off the car so she could hear the lyrics. A female voice began to sing a capella.

I don't want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

I don't care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true

All I want for Christmas is you You

The music began in earnest, when Sarah took his hand. "Chuck, you asked me what I meant earlier about me being your Sarah, what do you think that means?"

"I have no idea," Chuck admitted. "I know you're there for me. I know you're my friend, but I think…I think there's something more."

"I think there is as well," Sarah told him. She leaned toward him. "I think I want more."

"I am open to more," Chuck replied, his mouth going dry. "Sarah, I wasn't kidding, I like you, a lot."

"I like you a lot too, Chuck," Sarah told him.

"What are we, Sarah?" Sarah grinned at him. "I feel like you like keeping me off-balance."

"Well, you've been keeping me off-balance since I've met you," Sarah replied. Chuck's eyes widened. "Chuck, come on, at every step, at every turn, you've been there for me, not wanting anything, just to help me. Do you know how rare that is, how…special?"

"I'm just being me," Chuck protested.

She leaned in, her lips inches from his. "Oh, I know Chuck, I know you are. I didn't at first. So what are we? I guess that's up to you, I know what I'd like for us to be. I would like for us to be together. I would like for us to date."

"I'm good with that," Chuck managed to get out.

"I would like to build on this that we have, we're good together, Chuck," she said softly, and then she kissed him. And for the first time since Morgan died, since Jill left him, for the first time, Chuck felt like maybe things were looking up and the bottom wouldn't fall out just when he least expected it.

A/N: For those of you saying, HE BASICALLY JUST SAID ONE LAST MISSION! No. That's not happening. Stupid happy fluff the rest of the way. Yeah, only one chapter today. Next time.

"How the hell did we end up on light duty?" Sarah asked the next day.

"They apparently picked the best person in the house and the most immature," Chuck told her. She glared at him. "You're the best."

"Chuck, you do not cut yourself down," she told him.

"What are you gonna do if I do?" Chuck asked. Sarah raised an eyebrow.

Oh lord, what is she going to do, see you soon.