A/N: Shopping, shopping and more shopping. Tis the season, right? Let's meet back up with our friends and see how poor Chuck is faring.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck


Chapter 6

Nearly two hours later, and a trip back to their rooms to drop off their bounty, the group met up for dinner at an Irish pub/restaurant near the hotel that had received rave reviews. Ellie and Mary were recounting their shopping adventures as they all looked over the menus. Within a few moments, their waitress stopped to greet them and take everyone's drink orders. When they got around to Chuck, he deferred to Sarah, allowing her to go first.

"I'll haaaaave..." she began, looking over the menu. "Let's try the Irish mule. Oh, and a glass of water, please." Chuck nodded at her order, seemingly approving of her selection.

"I'll take a Smithwicks, please," Chuck said. While he had the waitresses' attention, and the rest of the table was busy looking at their menus, Chuck made a circular gesture around the table and then pointed to himself. With a nod and a knowing smile the waitress took her leave to fill their drink orders. Sarah had watched the little pantomime and just considered Chuck for a long moment. He seemed unaware, just looking over the menu, humming and bebopping to himself.

Sarah was no stranger to men offering to get the check, but they generally wanted to make a show of it. They wanted to do it to impress people. That wasn't what Chuck was all about. She didn't know how much money Chuck had, but he wasn't one to flaunt it; his car aside. So far she'd only seen him wear jeans and a t-shirt, or a nice button-down as was the case this evening. They weren't designer brands or the latest fashion. They were simple; they were Chuck. She'd never met anyone like him, and likely never would again.

Leaning toward Sarah, not lifting his eyes from the menu, he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "What are you gonna get?" he asked. Sarah shook herself from her musings and refocused on the menu.

"I uh.. I dunno," she admitted. She was given a brief reprieve when the waitress returned with their drinks, passing them around the table to the correct person with impressive accuracy. She began to take people's food orders, this time starting with Chuck, since he was footing the bill, unbeknownst to the rest of the table.

"Hmmm. That's a tough one. For starters, how about we get an order of the corned beef sliders, the loaded tots and the crispy spinach dip." There were hums echoed around the table at his choices. "And for myself, I'll go with the Sheperd's pie. Sarah?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"I think I'm gonna go with the Rueben sandwich with French fries," she stated, passing the menu to Chuck.

"Awww, man. I was gonna get the Rueben. That sounds really good too," Chuck pouted, rethinking his choice.

"I tell ya what, I'll share some of my sandwich if I can have some of your Sheperd's pie," Sarah offered. Chuck pretended to contemplate the suggestion before offering her his hand to shake on it.

"Deal."

"God, you're such a nerd," Ellie teased from across the table, smirking and shaking her head. Sarah gave Ellie a wry smile in return, taking Chuck's hand and shaking it.

"Deal," she said, almost as a playful thumbing of her nose at his sister's comment. Ellie snorted, chuckling at the younger woman.

"You two are meant for each other," she declared, turning to the waitress to give her order. Sarah and Chuck exchanged a glance, both mulling over what Ellie had said. The two seemed a bit uncertain, but gave the other a tentative smile.

The meal and the company around the table had both been wonderful. The conversation was light, often telling stories at Chuck or Ellie's expense, but everyone was included, especially Sarah. Mary and Stephen, even Devon, all seemed to take turns at getting to know Sarah better. The topic of her family never came up, likely due to a warning from Ellie. Sarah was thankful, but there were times when she could see Chuck tense when the conversation drifted toward something that might make her uncomfortable. It warmed her more than a little to know that he was looking out for her.

"What d'you say we settle up here and go for a walk? Otherwise, I'm liable to fall asleep after all that food," Stephen joked, patting his full stomach. Everyone chuckled, nodding in agreement. Almost as if on cue, their waitress arrived at the table carrying a small plastic tray with mints and a small black folder with a slip of paper hanging out of the end.

"Ah. I'll take that," Stephen proclaimed, holding up a hand to get her attention. She gave the older man a hesitant smile before setting the payment tray in front of Chuck.

"Sorry, sir. He beat you to the punch," she apologized, shrugging as she bid them a good evening. Chuck opened the folder, retrieved his card, which he had slipped to the waitress on a "trip to the restroom", and returned it to his wallet. He quickly wrote in a tip and the final total, signing the bottom with a flourish.

"Damnit, Charles," his father chided. "You don't have to pay for dinner. It's bad enough that you won't let me repay you for this trip."

"Dad, for once in my life, I'm finally in a position where I can afford to do this for you guys. I know I don't have to, but I want to. It's the least I can do. Really. Plus, it's Christmas. You know, the time for giving?" He gave them a wry smile before adding a note at the bottom of his bill: "Merry Christmas!"

Sarah just barely caught the total and tip for the meal and her eyes widened in surprise. He had tipped their waitress fifty dollars without batting an eyelash. She considered him as he talked with others around the table, wondering if he was doing it to show that he had money or because he valued the service. In her gut she knew the answer, but the cynical side of her knew that most people with a lot of money usually stepped on other people to get it. She only knew that he had his own software company, but he made it sound like small potatoes.

As everyone began to stand and put on their coats, she noticed Chuck pull out his wallet and sneak a fifty dollar bill out before putting his wallet back and standing as well. Sarah eyed him curiously, expecting him to make a show of throwing it on the table for everyone to see. She was intrigued when he picked up the folder with his receipt and started to carry it off with him.

Seeing their waitress, Chuck flagged her down. "Hey, Gina! Here ya go. Thanks for everything." He very deliberately placed it in her hand, putting his hand on top as he spoke. Sarah could see the look of confusion on the woman's face, which quickly morphed into surprise. "I hope Santa is good to little Mikela this year. Merry Christmas." For a moment, Gina was speechless, finally stammering out with a gracious, "Thank you and Merry Christmas."

They walked outside with Chuck's parents in front and Ellie and Devon behind. The cold night air was refreshing, making her feel even more alive. Realizing they were sandwiched between Chuck's family, Sarah laced her arm around his and pulled it close as they walked.

"That was pretty slick, slipping the waitress that fifty," she whispered, glancing up at him to judge his reaction.

He let out an apprehensive chuckle. "You saw that, huh?" Sarah hummed in affirmation.

"Who's Mikela?" Sarah asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Oh, that. Well," he began, looking a little nervous. "When I stepped away from the table earlier to give her my card, I caught her in the middle of a phone call. She was calling her little daughter, Mikela, and wishing her good night. I overheard a little of the conversation, how much she wished she could be there to tuck her in. It broke my heart a little. I guess I thought that if she had a little extra, she could get her daughter something nice or maybe pay toward some bills so she wouldn't have to work so much." He gave a shrug, huffing as they continued to walk.

Sarah was quiet as she processed what she'd heard, all of her cynicism melting away. She felt supremely foolish for thinking Chuck could possibly be anything other than the incredibly kind and generous person that she'd come to know. "You're a good one, Chuck Bartowski," she confessed, giving his arm a squeeze. She could practically feel the warmth radiating from his blush.

They all walked around the village, taking in the Christmas decorations, buying some hot chocolate and even stopping for a moment to listen to some professional carolers. As the evening came to a close, they wandered back to the hotel. Walking toward the elevators, Ellie called out to her brother.

"Hey, Chuck. I forgot to ask. How'd you like the room?" she inquired, with a wry smile. "I thought you might like the jacuzzi tub. They said it was big enough for two…" she trailed off, bouncing an eyebrow at Chuck and Sarah.

Chuck cleared his throat, his ears turning as red as the poinsettias decorating the hotel's foyer. "How very … thoughtful," he murmured, not able to look at Sarah or his sister. Sarah was picking up on how awkward Chuck could be when people alluded to their relationship, especially the physical aspects. Hoping to pull some of the focus off Chuck, Sarah spoke up.

"Thanks Ellie. I'm sure it'll come in quite useful after skiing tomorrow," Sarah interjected, trying to dodge around the topic of their supposed sex life. That was something that they hadn't really discussed yet. They were going off the premise that their relationship was new, but Ellie seemed quite certain that they were .. intimate, given the innuendos she'd dropped throughout the day. She'd have to make a point of talking to Chuck about that topic, once they got to the room.

"That's a good point, Sarah. As often as I fall on my ass, a soak in a jacuzzi is just what the doctor ordered," Stephen agreed. "Well, I don't know about these two doctors," he added, pointing his thumb at his daughter and her husband. "But that's what this doctor is gonna order," he chuckled, tapping his finger on his chest. That seemed to get everyone to laugh, forgetting about the original topic.

Once on their floor, everyone said their goodnights and made their way to their respective rooms. Chuck closed the door to their suite and plopped down on the couch, blowing out a long breath. "What a day. With all that shopping, my dogs are bark'n," he groaned, kicking his shoes off. "It wasn't so much the walking, it was all the standing that got to me."

Sarah couldn't help but feel guilty. It was all because he had gone shopping for her. That was another source of guilt in and of itself. He had bought her hundreds of dollars in clothing, which seemed extremely excessive, but they didn't exactly have bargain outlets at ski resorts. He hadn't even asked how much she'd spent. When she'd given his card back to him earlier, he'd just said "Thanks" and didn't ask a thing. She was starting to get the "Pretty Woman" vibe and wanted to make sure she set the record straight.

"Chuck, there're some things we need to talk about," she stated, sitting down on the other end of the couch. Chuck sat up, looking concerned.

"OK. Is everything alright? Did I… did I do something wrong?" he asked, his eyes growing wide.

"No. No," she rushed out, waving him off. "I just… look, I appreciate all you've done for me. Like today, with all the clothes and stuff. But, that was a lot of money, Chuck. It may or may not be a lot to you, but it's a lot to me. And I don't want to feel like I … I owe you for all of this or that… that I'm expected -"

"Whoa!" he jumped in, holding his hands up to stop her. "Stop right there. There is no quid pro quo here. I don't want you to EVER feel like you owe me for anything. That's NOT what this is about. Those things are gifts for you to keep, even though they're a necessary part of the ... 'cover' thing. I'd never hold anything over you as … leverage, or whatever. If you really wanted to, you could walk away right now, free and clear. It's as simple as that." Sarah had been sitting in wide-eyed surprise at how adamant he was with what he was saying. Chuck seemed to sense how serious he'd become and visibly deflated.

"N-not th-that I want you to go… but I don't want you to feel like you're trapped here or like you're serving out some kind of sentence being here with me." He dropped his gaze to his lap, fidgeting with his hands. Sarah inwardly berated herself at seeing the look of dejection he was trying to hide. She'd never really thought he was intentionally trying to buy his way into her… well, anything. She just wanted to make sure that he understood where she was coming from and why she might be apprehensive. As it turned out, he felt more strongly about it that she had , and now he looked almost hurt by the implication. He seemed more saddened by the prospect of her leaving, which she wasn't sure how to take. Was it because the 'cover' would fall apart or would he actually miss her?

"Well," she sighed, looking around the room. "If this is community service, sign me up," she joked, giving him a wry smile in hopes of defusing some of the tension. He looked up from his lap and returned her smile, blushing a bit. "Chuck, just so you know, I'm here because I want to be. And, for the record, I don't think you had any intentions other than just being kind. But, I just wanted you to understand where I'm coming from. Most people I've known in my life, that was not the case. Everyone has an angle; they always want something. Except you. With you I think they broke the mold," she confessed, chuckling softly.

"Oh, I'm sure they did. One of me is more than enough," he snorted with a self-deprecating eye roll. There it was again. He always seemed to put himself down and, for some reason, she found it was starting to make her angry, wanting to jump to his defense.

"Hey. Don't do that. You seem to have this nasty habit of putting yourself down. You need to stop it," she commanded, pointing at him. "You're one of the kindest, most generous people I've ever known. On top of that, you're a lot of fun to be around. So, as long as I'm around, no more digs on my friend. Got it?" Chuck was taken aback, wincing each time she accented her statements by poking him in the chest. Swallowing thickly, he nodded his head emphatically. She couldn't help but giggle at the petrified look on his face. She absentmindedly smoothed out his shirt where she had been poking him.

"It's getting late. We should probably get ready for bed. I have a suspicion your sister and Devon are going to be up early, wanting us to join them on the slopes." Sarah stood and motioned with her head to follow. He nodded and pushed himself off the couch. Once Sarah had turned the bedroom light on, Chuck turned off the lights in the living room area, making sure the front door was locked and bolted, before following her in.

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Sarah woke to the sound of buzzing. Her body told her it was early, but the faint glow through her eyelids proved it was morning. Laying face down, snuggled into her pillow, she blindly reached for the offending noise, finally feeling the phone on the bedside table. Without opening her eyes, she swiped up to answer, laying the phone on the side of her face.

"-ello," she answered in a groggy voice. She was met with a woman's giggle on the other end.

"Well good morning. Is my brother too … indisposed to answer his own phone?" she asked, clearly amused. Sarah's eyes shot open, pulling the phone away from her ear to look at it. She was met with a myriad of realizations all at once. The buzzing had been Chuck's phone, and why it was on her side of the bed was quickly answered when she realized that she wasn't actually on her side of the bed. Chuck was lying fast asleep, underneath her it would seem, in the exact place he had fallen asleep. It was Sarah that had apparently migrated in the middle of the night, her body practically draped across him.

"Uh… he's uh… he's still sleeping, actually," she replied quietly, bringing the phone back to her ear.

"So I gathered. As were you, I suspect, from the lovely impression of James Earl Jones I just got when you answered." Sarah couldn't help but snort at the comment, though catching herself, not wanting to wake Chuck and have to explain her current situation. "We're heading down to breakfast and then getting a jump on some skiing. Are you guys coming or do you want to ... catch up with us later?" Sarah swore she could hear the grin on Ellie's face through the phone and it made Sarah blush a little.

"I think it's safe to say we'll be a little while. Not beca- you know what? Never mind." Sarah drawled, rolling her eyes. Ellie already cracking up on the other end of the line made Sarah chuckle as well.

"Alright. I'll let you get back to… whatever. We'll see you after a while. But not too late, huh?" Sarah nodded, despite the fact that the woman couldn't see her.

"We'll see ya, Ellie. Bye" Sarah ended the call and let out a soft groan as she closed her eyes. After a moment she realized she was still lying on Chuck, her head on his chest and their feet intertwined. She knew she should move before he woke up but she felt herself drifting off, the warmth of him so comforting.

What felt like a few seconds later she jolted awake, but didn't move from her spot. She lifted the cell phone that was still in her hand - his cell phone- and saw it was 8:45am; nearly an hour later. She froze in place, realizing that the rise and fall of Chuck's chest was faster than she recalled. There was a long silence before she heard the vibrations beneath her.

"Don't freak out," he said quietly, not moving. "But I think you may have shifted slightly in your sleep." Sarah couldn't hold back the snort, followed by the chuckle.

"So it would seem. Sorry about that."

"I'm not complaining," he stated, very reminiscent of her remarks the previous morning. She couldn't help but smile, shaking her head. Gently, she pulled away, laying his cell phone on his chest. As she sat up, they shared a glance and she could practically feel the warmth of his smile. "What was it you said? Human nature?" She let out another chuckle, ducking her head. For somebody who wasn't trying to be smooth, he was pretty damn good at it.

"I'm gonna grab a shower. Your sister called about an hour ago and said they were going skiing after breakfast." She saw Chuck's eyes widen with worry.

"That explains why you had my phone. Are they waiting on us?"

"Relax. I told her we'd catch up with them later," she reassured him, watching him slump in relief. Sarah slid off the bed and headed for the bathroom. "I'll be out in a few."

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"Let me get this straight. You paid for your whole family to come to a ski resort, and you don't ski?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Well, I skied once," he defended, trying to look dignified. "I was eight… and I broke my leg."

"Oh my God! What happened?" she questioned, sounding concerned.

"I had yet to master the art of steering… or stopping. Thankfully, a tree was more than willing to give me a lesson in spontaneous deceleration."

"You hit a tree?"

"I think it sounded better the way I put it," he murmured, "but yeah. Needless to say, skiing and I haven't been on speaking terms since then. And let's be honest. I live in Southern California. How often am I put into a situation where that's going to be an issue?"

"Fair point," she agreed, bouncing her head from side to side. "Still, you seemed excited about coming here when Ellie brought it up."

"I was, err, am. I mean, look at this place," he declared, gesturing around at the snowy mountains and evergreen trees frosted with fresh snow. "I promised you an amazing Christmas and what amazing Christmas would be complete without a winter wonderland?"

"You did, didn't you? Well, can I tell you that so far, you've more than delivered on your promise. Thank you."

"Ooohhh. Don't thank me yet. We're just getting started. We've still got to decorate the tree at Ellie and Awesome's house when we get back, baking Christmas cookies and maybe even a quick trip to the Bay Area to do some last minute Christmas shopping," he added, counting off the list on his finger.

"I can't wait," Sarah admitted, giving him a warm smile. "Well, let's focus on the task at hand here. Take my hands and I'll help you up."

"Maybe it's best if you go skiing with Ellie and Devon," Chuck suggested hesitantly. "Or even Mom and Dad. I suspect they're out there somewhere. I don't want to hold you back."

"Are you done making excuses?" she asked, giving him a flat look. "You made me a Christmas promise, and this is part of it. So, time to pay up. Give me your hands and I'll help you." Chuck looked between her offered hands and her eyes several times before finally taking her hands and accepting her assistance. When he stood upright, he started sliding forward, nearly knocking Sarah over before she caught him. Letting out a full belly laugh, Sarah helped Chuck to stand, holding him to make sure he was steady.

Over the next few hours, Sarah patiently worked with Chuck, helping him get his bearings on skis, even going so far as to make it down a beginner slope without falling. It was awkward, and there was more than one close call, but he'd made it. There had been some playful trash talk with the children on the same run, along with a fair amount of laughing and pointing. Even though he'd been embarrassed, he tried to take it all in good fun, laughing at himself along with them.

While he took a rest, nursing his pride and a sore bottom, Sarah went for a few passes with the other members of the Bartowski clan. She felt bad leaving Chuck, but he was adamant that she enjoyed herself. The truth was, she had been enjoying herself, laughing and just being with him. They later found themselves sitting in a slope-side cafe, having a coffee to warm up. Chuck was rather quiet as he swirled his coffee around in his cup, staring at its inky blackness.

"You did pretty well today," Sarah offered, trying to break him from his silence.

'Ha. Yeah. I was amazing. I managed to go a whole twenty-five feet without falling on my ass. Winter Olympics, here I come," he cheered, holding his coffee up as a toast.

With a "tsk", Sarah shook her head but toasted his coffee cup with her own. "That's not what I meant, but for a beginner you really did do a good job. No, what I meant was, even with all the setbacks and teasing, you were still able to smile and laugh through it all. Not many guys would do that. They'd be too wrapped up in trying to be 'men' to let people see that they can be… vulnerable, I guess. It's a very endearing trait, and dare I say… rather sexy." Sarah bit her bottom lip and glanced out the window, hardly able to believe she'd actually said that.

'Well, uh… th-thank you?" he stated, almost as a question, uncertain how else to respond. Looking back at him, Chuck was again looking at his coffee, and she could see his ears were red, but it wasn't from being in the cold. Sarah felt a little proud of herself with how easy it was to make him blush. It was becoming one of her favorite new games. After an audible gulp, he stammered out, "We should uh… catch up with the others for dinner, huh?" He looked up and met her gaze, giving her a hesitant smile.

"Yeah. I suppose it's about that time," she nodded, taking the last swig of her coffee. "Where are we meeting them?"

"Good question. It's..." he trailed off as he checked his text messages, "Azzarello's Woodfired Pizza."

"Oh. I saw that on our walk after dinner last night. I know where that is," Sarah proclaimed, standing and throwing her cup away, Chuck following suit.

"Well, then. Lead on fair lady," Chuck bowed and gestured with a flourish. Sarah snickered, shaking her head at him before taking his arm, almost out of habit now, leading him out of the cafe.

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After dinner, and a brief stroll to help the food digest, they found themselves sitting around a fire pit next to the hotel. There were adirondack bench seats around the fire, allowing everyone to sit in their respective pairs. The guest services for the hotel had provided the ingredients for making S'mores and the group couldn't resist.

Sarah had never roasted marshmallows before, and Chuck seemed to pick up on her mixture of excitement and hesitation. He let her do the roasting, only offering tips and suggestions as needed. The fire claimed more than a few marshmallows in tribute, though only one of those was Sarah's unintentional offering. She was laughing and having a ball, and Chuck was beaming as he watched her. He stared in wonder as she sat holding her marshmallow roasting stick, the glow of the fire illuminating her face. The wide-eyed excitement, along with the flickering of the flames, made her eyes dance, and he was certain he'd never seen anything more beautiful in all his life.

Chuck was growing more conflicted by the minute. He was torn between the strong feelings that he had developed for Sarah and knowing that this was only a cover arrangement. Chuck knew he was only torturing himself by entertaining these feelings. This was supposed to be all pretend and once it was over, Sarah would be gone. There was no way that she shared those same feelings. For Chuck it reasoned that someone as amazing as Sarah Walker had to have higher standards than him. He was just reading too much into her actions; confusing the cover with reality.

A marshmallow bouncing off his cheek broke him from his daze. When he looked around the fire he could see Ellie, with her mischievous grin, obviously looking between him and Sarah, teasing him about staring at her. Chuck just rolled his eyes, blushing slightly, and shook his head before picking up the marshmallow she'd thrown and hurling it back at her.

Once the S'mores were consumed and bellies full once again, Mary and Stephen were snuggled together on the high-backed benches, as were Ellie and Devon on theirs, enjoying the fire and exchanging quiet comments. Sarah noticed that they were the odd ones out, sitting beside one another as if they were on a chaperoned date. In order to maintain their cover, she would have to fix this. Trying to mask her grin, she gave a slightly exaggerated shiver, which had the desired effect of getting Chuck's attention.

"Chuck, your girlfriend is freezing," Ellie chided him playfully. He seemed horrified that he hadn't noticed before, awkwardly putting his arm around Sarah to try to offer her some comfort. Sarah placed her hand on his chest to steady him, before snuggling into his side. Relaxing considerably, Chuck sighed quietly and pulled her closer to him. They sat in the comfortable silence, warmed by the fire and their closeness.

Everyone around the fire had grown quiet, the glowing embers of the fire mesmerizing them. It was Stephen who finally broke that silence as he groaned, sitting up in his seat.

"Well, kids. I think I'm going to call it a night. It's been a long day. Eleanor, Devon, Sarah, Charles, have a good night," he waved as he stood, stretching his tired muscles.

"I think I'll join you. I'm about to fall asleep watching this fire. 'Night kids. See you in the morning," Mary called, blowing a kiss and waving as she and Stephen left. Shortly after, Ellie stretched with a groan, sitting up from her spot laying against her husband.

"I think it's pumpkin time for me too. All that skiing wore me out," she chuckled, pushing herself up to her feet.

"Hopefully not too tired," Devon chimed in with a chuckle, giving his wife a salacious wink, earning him an eye roll. "Hey. Way to go out there on the slopes today, Chuckster. Putting up with those kids, you're a braver man than me," he declared, pointing at Chuck with a wink, making a clicking sound out of the corner of his mouth.

"I doubt there's a braver man than you, Awesome, but thanks for the sentiment," Chuck replied flatly.

"We'll see you two in the morning. Night Sarah. I've had a great time up here, shopping and skiing. We need to do that a lot more often. Especially the shopping, when it's on Chuck's dime," Ellie snickered, sticking her tongue between her teeth.

"I've had a great time too, Ellie. Thanks. Good night," Sarah replied, waving to Ellie and Devon.

"Night Sis. See ya tomorrow," Chuck called after them, watching them walk inside. Through all of that, neither Chuck nor Sarah moved, maintaining the position snuggled into each other. The only sounds that could be heard was the crackling of the fire, and the two basked in it for a few long minutes.

"Um..." Chuck whispered tentatively. "Everyone's gone, so if you uh… that is, if you don't want to…" he trailed off, Sarah hearing him swallow thickly. He was right, there was nobody to put on a show for, so they had no reason to continue snuggling. The fact of the matter was, she had completely forgotten about all of that. She had gotten so lost in the moment, the warmth she felt being so close to him, the smell of him, that she pushed all of that away. In her mind, it was just her and Chuck, snuggled in front of a crackling fire in the midst of this snowy wonderland. What was real and what was pretend had become so blurred over the past few days that she struggled to tell them apart. She wasn't so sure she wanted to. For the first time, in a very long time, she felt cared for, safe.

"I know," she whispered in reply, but didn't make any attempt to move from her spot. There was another long silence, and Sarah could feel the change in Chuck's breathing, a nervous shakiness. It made her smile to be reminded of the effect she had on him, and that maybe she wasn't completely alone in her feelings. With all that had happened since he first came into her life, she was incredibly grateful.

"Thank you," she said, at just above a whisper, causing Chuck to crane his neck to look down at her, Sarah's head still resting on his shoulder.

"For what?" he asked, sounding confused. Sarah lifted her head to look at him, their faces surprisingly close.

"For… for everything. When you knocked on my car window, my life immediately changed for the better. I felt at my lowest and you completely turned my life upside down. I mean… look where I am," she said, gesturing around. "I feel like I'm a million miles from that roadside. It doesn't get much more magical than this. Christmas everywhere you turn, the … the crackling fire … you…" she breathed out. Sarah closed her eyes briefly, finding it difficult to believe what she was saying. She was not one to share her feelings, but something about this man had broken free something inside her, releasing feelings that she didn't think she would ever find.

"I… I know that we said this was just … just pretend, a cover to convince your family but …" Sarah's pulse was racing. She rarely got nervous, but then she'd never felt like this before, like so much rested on what she was trying to say. Before she could voice another word, she was caught completely off guard as Chuck quickly closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. She was frozen in the moment, a kaleidoscope of emotions, hopes and fears swirled through her. Almost as quickly as it had happened, he pulled away with a gasp.

"Oh, God. I'm … I'm sooo sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I just …. And you… and-and the fire and…" he stammered out, looking completely mortified. She definitely hadn't expected that kiss, but now that it was over, she realized that there wasn't anything she wanted more in this moment than to taste his lips again.

Forestalling his downward spiral, Sarah grabbed Chuck's face and kissed him back, this time though, she was prepared. She kissed him like she wanted to be kissed. She put all of the emotions that had welled up in her into that kiss. The intensity began to build as Chuck tightly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. When Chuck opened his mouth ever so slightly, it was all Sarah needed to move their kiss to the next level. Their tongues caressed slowly as soft whimpers escaped both of them in concert.

Sarah couldn't help but start to giggle against his lips, her happiness bubbling out of her. Chuck began to chuckle under his breath as well, as they continued to kiss under the stars, by the light of the fire.

"Ut-hum.." came the very deliberate clearing of a throat, causing Chuck and Sarah to jump apart to the opposite sides of the bench. Ellie stood by the bench she'd been sitting at, biting her bottom lip with a pained expression on her face.

"Soooorry," she whispered apologetically. She waved a plastic room keycard, almost like a white flag of surrender. "I dropped our room key. Please don't mind me. Just…. go back to… you know…" She gestured for them to continue as she backed away sheepishly. All the while there was an underlying gleefulness about her that didn't go unnoticed by the couple. Once she was gone, the silence returned and both of them sat ridged, staring at the fire.


A/N2: Sooo… that just happened. Nice going Ellie. God, who writes this stuff. Oh... 0.o

Much love for all the feedback. You're all amazing. Feel free to keep those reviews and PMs coming.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families! May peace find you and good health stay with you.

JW