A/N: Thanks for sticking around and for all the really positive reviews. I try to write the stories that I'd like to read, so it means a lot that you like to read them too.

Disclaimer: Please keep your hands and feet inside the fic at all times. You may wish to have a facial tissue dispenser within close proximity for the duration of this fic. Not responsible for innocence lost or stolen. Do not operate this fic in a public place. Oh and I don't own Chuck.

Chapter 3

"Judy...Judy. Judy! Stop. We'll be fine. You need to take care of yourself. OK? The doctor said you need to stay off that knee, so that's what you're gonna do. Make Tom pull his weight around there and take care of you for a change," Sarah snickered. "I'll just take Molly with me. She can get on the bus at the stop down the street from the diner and they can drop her off there. I got it under control. Please! Take care of yourself. OK? If not for yourself, do it for us…..Alright, good. Let me know if we can help at all. Ok…..OK. Let me know how you're feeling next week and what the doctor says then. Ok….OK...Alright. Talk to you later. B-Bye." Sarah sighed after she ended the call, staring at the ceiling. With all the problems with the diner this was the last thing she needed. She had no choice but to take Molly to work with her. At least today she would be gone at school part of the day. Unfortunately it was Friday and that meant the next couple of days would be all Molly, all the time. Sarah packed together some coloring books and some of Molly's favorite books for reading into a backpack with a few snacks to prepare for tomorrow. She took a long hot shower to wash away the stress of the day, then she fell into bed after setting her alarm.

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Work at the diner had been more of the same. Jimmy, the only cook she had left was swamped with orders so she helped with making sandwiches, refilling coffee and passing the playful banter all around. The old timers really enjoyed it because Sarah could dish it out as well or better than she got from them. The bell on the front door rang and a small blonde tornado burst into the diner and ran to Sarah, waving a picture made on construction paper.

'Sarah. Sarah. Look what I made! See it's got horses and goats and this one has wings and there's you and that's Judy!" Molly exclaimed with excitement as she rushed to show Sarah her picture from school.

"Wow. That's really awesome, Peanut. You did a great job!" Sarah replied with equal enthusiasm. "Here. How about I go put it on the bulletin board over there so everyone can see it?" Molly just jumped up and down nodding her head. Sarah proudly displayed the artwork on the community bulletin board. " There. Now, have a seat over here and let's get you out a snack and maybe your coloring stuff. I'll get you some milk from the kitchen." Sarah instructed.

"Okie Dokie," Molly replied as she hopped into a booth and started digging through the bag for a snack. She then pulled out two coloring books and a Tupperware container of crayons as she got settled in.

"Good. You got everything you need?" Sarah asked as she set the kids cup with a bendy straw down on the table. The girl just vigorously nodded her head as she grabbed the cup and took a sip. Sarah let out a small chuckle and smoothed the girls hair back. "Ok. Color quietly and I'll check in on you in a little bit. I have a lot of customers to help, so stay in your seat." Sarah gave her a quick wave and went back to her work.

Nearly forty-five minutes had elapsed since Sarah left Molly to her own devices and Molly had been sitting and staring at the man in the corner booth for the last ten minutes of that. He looked very lonely and kind of sad. He had been typing on his laptop for a while but then he just stared down at the counter. She could tell that every time Sarah walked by he would watch her and he didn't seem so sad for a little bit. Molly put the lid on her crayons and scooped them up along with her coloring books and slid out of her booth. She looked to see if Sarah was watching then snuck over to the man's booth and slid in quietly. She slid one of her coloring books across the table into his field of view. The man looked up with a start, switching his gaze between the young girl and the coloring book.

"When I'm feeling sad, I like to color. Especially with the bright, pretty colors. Would you like to color with me?" The cute, little blonde with the giant blue eyes gave him a look that could melt the coldest heart.

Clearing his throat, "Um..you're probably not supposed to be talking to strangers, Miss," he replied in a hushed tone, bending down slightly to get closer.

"I'm sorry. You're right," the girl nodded apologetically. "I forgot to use my manners." She thrust her hand out toward him, "Hi. I'm Molly," she declared as a smile grew across her face. He couldn't help but share the smile. After only a moment's thought he extended his hand, gently shaking hers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Molly. People call me Chuck," he replied with a grin. The little girl's brow furrowed slightly.

"Can't you get them to stop? It's not nice to call people names," she added indignantly. Chuck's hand shot to his mouth to cover the laughter that threatened to burst out at the youngsters sincere grievance. After collecting himself he removed his hand and thoughtfully replied.

"Thank you Miss Molly for being so thoughtful. My real name is Charles but 'Chuck' is a nickname that people use for the name Charles. It may sound a little weird but I like the name Chuck. But you can call me whatever you like," he smiled as he closed his laptop and slid it away.

"OK. If you like 'Chuck' then that's what I'll call you. Mr. Chuck, would you like to color with me?" she asked, sliding the second coloring book closer to him. The simple, sincere offering nearly brought a tear to his eye. She was being so polite, kind and sweet, throwing those piercing blue eyes into the mix was just brutal. Those were the same blue eyes that a certain diner owner possessed, that cut straight through him.

"Miss Molly, it would be my honor to share your coloring books with you," he bowed his head to her and offered her a broad smile. That seemed to bring a big smile to her face and she slid the tub of crayons to the center of the table.

"Great! We can share the crayons. Just don't chew on the crayons or anything. I like to keep them nice," she proclaimed.

"OK. I'll try to control myself," Chuck replied, trying to be serious but not succeeding very well. He opened to one of the first uncolored pictures and began to dig for the right crayon before beginning his creation. The two sat in silence and colored together for a few minutes before Molly began to speak.

"Mr. Chuck, do you have a job? Where do you live? Do you live with your Mom and Dad or do you live by yourself? Do you have any pets?" The questions just seemed to keep coming as the girl just continued to color, not even looking up at him.

"Wow. Um… well lets see," he began counting off on his fingers. "I do have a job. I write computer software. I live in an apartment here in town and No, I don't live with my parents. I haven't seen them in a very, very long time. So I live by myself and No, I don't have any pets."

"Why?" she replied. Chuck was a bit perplexed as there were a number of points that the 'why' could be in reference to.

"Uh..Why what?" Chuck asked in response.

"Why haven't you seen your Mom and Dad for a very, very long time?" she stopped her coloring to look at him as she asked.

"Well...when I was just a little older than you, my parents had to go away. I haven't seen them since then," Chuck offered, trying to sound as upbeat as he could.

"Oh. My parents went away too. They got sick and had to go away," she added, rather matter of factly. Chuck's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked from the young blonde to the older blonde across the diner talking with a customer from behind the counter. The resemblance was so striking that he was nearly certain that he had been sitting with the daughter of Sarah Walker. They had not talked much beyond their walk on Wednesday, so he had assumed that she did not want to reveal that much of her personal life to him; protecting her daughter from random men that may wander into her life.

"Then...um...who DO you live with?" he asked with deep curiosity. Molly's face lit up as she turned to point toward the counter.

"My sister. Sarah. She's right over there," she said with such pride on her face. "She works here. She makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches," she licked her lips, making a comical slurping sound.

"Sister?" Chuck asked, more to himself. The implications of that realization seemed to lighten his spirits quite a bit. He had been sitting here brooding to himself, so certain that Sarah had a relationship, past or present, that had resulted in the beautiful little girl sitting with him. The great difference in age between them must make it a common mistake, he surmised. That didn't mean that she still wasn't in a relationship, but at least there were no children involved. Relationship? What difference did that really make? As if he would ever be in contention for such a thing again, and with the likes of Sarah Walker no less. Chuck had watched for weeks now, all manner of men come and go through this diner, pouring on whatever charms they thought would turn Sarah's head. Many very handsome men, by anyone's measure, had stepped up to the plate and were offered nothing more than a 'nice day'. He certainly had nothing to offer that could even come close to competing with them.

"Heeelllloooooo," came a small, sing-songy voice pulling him from his musings. He caught the waving of Molly's hands in front of his gaze as he shook himself back to reality. "You were just looking over at the floor for a while and never answered my question," she continued.

"I'm...I'm sorry. What..uh...what was your question?" Chuck asked, trying to regain his focus.

Rolling her eyes with a smile on her face she held up her picture, "Do you think that Sarah will like it?" she asked with eager anticipation. Chuck had to admit that for a young girl around seven or eight years old, the picture was very well done. She had colored mostly inside the lines and had good color choices. The picture was of Cinderella sitting in bed, singing to some birds. He had to admit that with the coloring she had done, there was a very striking resemblance to Sarah. He took in the picture for a moment and it brought a wide smile to his face.

"Miss Molly, I think she will absolutely love it. I mean it's a picture of her favorite sister right?" Chuck asked in a playful tone.

Molly looked at the picture quizzically, 'No, silly. That's not meeeee. It's Sarah!" she explained with an exasperated sigh shaking her head, clearly amused.

"Ooooohhh. I see now. Yeah. I guess it could be Sarah. But I thought the woman in the picture was so beautiful that naturally I thought of you," Chuck explained with mock seriousness in his voice as he continued to color his own picture. The little girl giggled at Chuck's playful teasing and the funny faces he made, like sticking his tongue out as if really concentrating on coloring his pictures.

"Molly!" came a stern voice from behind Chuck. "What are you doing bothering him? I thought you were supposed to be over in your own seat?" Sarah chastised the young girl as she approached and then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that Chuck was coloring a picture right along with her. Sarah could only stand and stare for a moment at the scene, her throat getting a little tight, forcing her to swallow hard. Chuck just turned and looked at Sarah and smiled his big smile at her.

"Miss Molly here was kind enough to share her coloring books with me," Chuck made a show of presenting their handwork, much like a model on a game show.

"Yeah! And I made this for you," she brandished the picture for her older sister. "Mr. Chuck says it's a picture of me 'cause the woman's so beautiful. He's so silly," she giggled.

Sarah gave him a weird look that he couldn't quite decipher but his smile slowly flattened waiting for the response that was clearly coming. "I would have to agree with 'Mr. Chuck'. The blonde hair and blue eyes, plus she is very beautiful. I think she looks just like you," Sarah argued as she finally looked away from Chuck and toward her little sister with a scrunched-face scowl mimicking the one that Molly was giving her. Molly then tried to hit her with the floppy colored page, all the while giggling.

"No! It's you! See! She's a beautiful woman just like you," Molly argued but all in good fun. Sarah had to smile and chuckle at the little girl's frustration as she leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you Peanut. You're very pretty too though," she confessed as she brushed the hair away from Molly's face. "But I don't want you to bother Mr. Chuck, OK?" Molly nodded her head in understanding with a slight frown.

"Oh, No. Miss Molly here has been a wonderful hostess. She's been keeping me company, sharing her crayons,...asking lots of questions," Chuck's eyes grew comically wide for a moment at the last part. That elicited a chuckle from Sarah then grew serious after a moment's thought.

"I know she can be a bit of a chatterbox, so if she's too much, I'll come get her-" Sarah's comments were cut short by a crash of pans coming from the kitchen, followed by some indecipherable grumbling. Sarah winced and closed her eyes, seeming to take a calming breath. "I'm sorry. Will you excuse me?" she calmly addressed Chuck. She then pointed a finger at Molly with a raised eyebrow, "You behave, Peanut. And make sure he stays out of trouble," she added with a smirk. Molly giggled and nodded enthusiastically. Sarah quickly made her way to the kitchen to assess the damage.

Chuck and Molly continued their coloring. It was odd that he did not feel self-conscious sitting there coloring with her. It actually felt ...calming, liberating even. It was like everything else just melted away and his singular focus was on the task at hand. Nearly finished with his coloring page, his attention was drawn to what sounded like a rather heated discussion. He perked up and looked toward the kitchen where through the food window he could see Sarah and her only remaining cook, Jimmy, having an animated discussion. The look on his face showed frustration and perhaps a bit of remorse. Sarah, however, looked panicked, pleading with the rather husky older man. The actual words could not be heard clearly, but he could make out some of what was being said by reading their lips. Jimmy was clearly 'sorry' as Chuck could make that word out several times, but little else. Sarah's words were harder to make out, though he thought he could make out a 'please' as she motioned toward the cooking area and then out toward the seating area of the diner. The 'heat' of the argument seemed to die down, but they continued to talk and could see Sarah's shoulders slump. Jimmy's face was full of sorrow as he put a hand on her shoulder for a brief moment, to which Sarah just nodded, patting his hand. Chuck didn't know exactly what was going on but he had a sinking suspicion and his heart sank at the thought. Jimmy took off his apron and laid it down and left out what Chuck assumed was the back door. Sarah leaned her hands on the counter, facing away from the dining area, her head hung down. Chuck's heart was breaking for her, realizing that with the deadline looming, losing your only cook was a death sentence for a diner. Chuck's phone rang, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Hello? Yes. This is... Ah, yes!" Chuck's mood was immediately lifted and a smile returned. "Wonderful! Yes. Perfect. Um..I can..I can be there in ten minutes? OK great. I'll see you then.

"Awww. You have to go?" Molly asked, sadness slowly growing across her face.

"I'm really sorry Miss Molly. I have to go for just a little bit for a meeting. I'll be back after a while though, OK?" Chuck asked with all the kindness and sincerity he could muster. Molly just nodded her understanding and some of the sadness fell away. "Will you hold on to my picture for me? I don't want it to get messed or anything. I'll finish it when I get back. Can I trust you to keep it safe for me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow trying to sound serious.

Molly's eyes grew wide and she vigorously nodded her head, "I'll take good care of it and make sure nothing happens to it," she declared with a sense of pride as she sat up a little straighter.

"Thanks. I knew I could count on you. I'll see you after a little bit," he waved as he grabbed his laptop and messenger bag and made his way toward the door. A stack of printed pages sitting on top of the newspaper machine caught his eye before he left. Upon closer inspection, they were applications for employment. They looked like a rather generic form, the type that could be found online to help small business owners. He turned his attention back toward the kitchen to find Sarah still standing in the same spot, resting against the counter with her head and shoulders slumped. His eyes darted from side to side as he was contemplating and then grabbed one of the applications before exiting the diner.

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Sarah stood in the kitchen of her diner, staring at the polished stainless steel counter. The tears she shed were beginning to dry now and her sniffling diminished. She knew it was just a matter of time. Jimmy had been pushed to the breaking point, being the only cook she had, and he had finally had enough. He told her that he had gotten an offer for a much better paying factory job that had benefits and the whole nine yards. She couldn't fault him for wanting to better his situation but it still put her in a terrible bind. Jimmy had felt bad, knowing he was leaving her in a very bad situation, but he just couldn't take it anymore. He was not the greatest cook to begin with and his heart was certainly never in it, but he had been better than nothing, which is what she currently had.

She returned to the dining area after freshening herself and began checking in with the few remaining customers. She topped off their drinks and made her way to check on Molly. Sarah was a bit confused to see Molly sitting alone, so she slid into the spot that was previously occupied by Chuck.

"Hey Peanut. Where's Chuck? I thought you two were coloring," Sarah asked with just a ting of concern.

"He got a phone call and then had to leave. But he said he would be back in a while. He asked me to take care-" as she motioned to the picture Chuck had been coloring, her arm caught the bendy straw in her cup and knocked it over, spilling her drink onto part of the picture. They both scrambled quickly to right the cup and clean the small spill. When Molly saw that some of her drink had gotten onto the picture, she began to tear up.

" .No. I ruined it! He said he trusted me to take care of it and I ruined it. He's going to be so mad at me," the little girl began to cry as she frantically dabbed at the picture with a napkin to try to soak up the liquid.

"Shhhh. Hey. Hey. Hey. I'm sure he won't be mad, OK? It was an accident. I'm sure he'll understand," Sarah moved to the other side of the booth to comfort her distraught sister. Molly just shook her head.

"No. Mommy said to always keep your promises. I promised I would keep his picture safe and I didn't," the young girl began to cry again at the admission and Sarah found herself fighting back tears herself.

"Oh, Peanut. Hey. Shhhh," she held the girl, speaking softly into her hair. "You didn't break your promise, sweetie. You didn't do it on purpose. You did your best and that's all you can do. Now, let's take a look at the picture and see if it can be saved, huh? It may not be that bad," Sarah suggested as she carefully collected the page, turning it over to see the colored side. Sarah's eyes grew wide as saucers when she looked over the picture. The damage was minimal and with a trip under the air dryer in the bathroom it would likely be good as new. What struck her was the subject of the picture. It was also a picture from the Cinderella coloring book. The scene was Cinderella and Prince Charming sitting on the terrace with the clock tower behind them reaching midnight. The two were engaged in a kiss, or nearly so. The fact that he had chosen this picture to color she found interesting. Cinderella was colored with blonde hair, naturally, and Prince Charming with dark hair. The most shocking part was the personal touches that had been added to the scene. Prince Charming's hair had been colored over to appear a little more full and curly than it would otherwise. The most telling of the changes was the use of a white crayon to turn the Prince's shoes into, what she could only conclude were Chuck Taylors, not unlike the pair that Chuck wore everyday.

She immediately had a number of feelings rushing through her at once. First she was a bit embarrassed, feeling like she was intruding into something private, like reading someone's personal journal. She also felt flattered at the thought that he might see her as the Cinderella in this picture and then again a little foolish at being so presumptuous for her to assume that to be the case. They barely knew one another, though they had gotten along very well the other day at Mrs. Fitzgerald's. He had said some very endearing things that day that still stuck with her but she was not sure what to make of all of it. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and began to stand.

"Just sit tight here. I'll go dry it off in the bathroom. I'll be right back," Sarah addressed her sister who was beginning to pull herself out of her tearful state. Sarah went to the restroom and using the hand dryer, was able to get the page dried reasonably well after just a few minutes. Convinced that it should pass muster, she headed back to the table. She sat down beside her sister who was looking at her approaching with a hopeful look on her face. She presented the picture to Molly, showing her that the wet portion was now dried. "See? All better." The young girl visibly relaxed and the smile returned to her face as she crashed into Sarah with a strong hug.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," Molly exclaimed, eventually pulling away.

"Hey guys! Oh, No. What's the matter? You guys OK?" Chuck stood at the end of the booth staring down at the two sisters, his brow furrowed with a look of concern on his face. He slowly slid into his previous seat to join them. Sarah just gave him a tight smile and Molly tried to speak with the occasional aftershock-like gasps evidence of her having been crying.

"M-Mr. Chuck. Don't be m-mad. I'm...I'm sorry. I...I accidently sp-spilled my drink and…and it got your picture all wet and you trusted me to-to take c-care of it for you and-and ..and," huge tears began rolling down her cheeks again as the hyperventilating gasps began again. Sarah looked to Chuck and could plainly see the heartbreak written across his face and the tears forming in his eyes at seeing the small girl so distraught. He quickly reached across the table clutching her hand in both of his.

"Oh, sweetheart. I could never be mad at you. Please. Please don't cry. You did such an amazing job at watching out for my picture. I'm more certain than ever that I picked the best person for the job." Chuck craned his head down to try to meet the girl's down-turned gaze. At hearing his words, she looked up to him, confusion written all over her face.

"But..but I didn't do a good job. I..I got it wet," she contested.

"Well that may be, but I'm sure it was an accident. I trusted that picture to 'you' because I knew that you would do your very best to take care of it. That you would be the one person that would care enough to want to take extra special care of it for me. If you weren't that kind of person, you wouldn't be so upset would you?" The girl seemed to ponder his question for a moment as the tears stopped and her breathing began to return to normal. Sarah could only stare at Chuck, requiring all her focus to not break down and sob at what was unfolding before her.

"Sometimes people trust us with very important things. And sometimes stuff happens that we can't stop. All you can do is try your very best to be honest and truthful. I think you'll find that people will understand. You were honest and truthful with me and told me what happened. I am very thankful for that. In fact... I am so impressed with the job you did, I'd like to trust you with something else very special to me," Chuck confessed as he reached behind his neck and unclasped a chain, pulling the necklace out of the front of his t-shirt. He held it out to Molly, laying it across both of his hands with the pendant resting in his right hand. The chain was a plain silver and the pendant was a silver replica of Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Molly and Sarah both gazed in wonder as Chuck continued.

" A very good friend of mine gave this to me many years ago before he had to move away. I've worn it everyday since then. He trusted me with this and asked me to keep it until he came back for it. Unfortunately…" Chuck paused for a moment, his jaw moving back and forth before swallowing heavily. "Unfortunately … he won't be able to come back for it. But as he trusted it to me for safekeeping, I am now trusting it you. I knew that I'd find the right person one day and now I found them. So, Miss Molly, can I trust this to you? To watch over it and keep it safe?" Chuck looked to her expectantly.

"Wow, Mr. Chuck. Really? But ...but what if I lose it or break it?"she asked with apprehension in her voice. Chuck just smiled at her and lowered the chain over her head.

"I trust you completely, Molly. You just need to trust in yourself." Molly held the pendent in her hands, staring in awe.

"Wow. Thank you, Mr. Chuck. Thank you," she exclaimed in a breathless whisper.

"Um… Chuck? Can I talk to you for a minute please?" Sarah interrupted and she abruptly stood up and walked with purpose down the short hall toward her small office. Chuck excused himself to Molly, who paid him no mind, and followed behind Sarah. He walked into her small office, pushing the door mostly closed, finding Sarah standing with her back to him. He felt like he had gotten called to the Principal's office and was in trouble. In hopes to smooth things over he began to apologize.

"Sarah, if I overstep-" Chuck began but was cut off by Sarah raising a hand to indicate he should stop, still not looking at him. After a moment she turned around to face him and he could see the redness in her eyes and the tear streaks down her face. She took a step toward him and crossed her arms, hugging herself.

"Chuck… that was...that was the kindest thing I have ever seen in my life. You...you just met that little girl today and...you made her feel like the most special little girl in the world. W-Why? Why Chuck?" she demanded, practically pleading. He took a moment to think, taken aback by the unexpected comment.

"Well, because everyone deserves to feel special. To feel important. To know that there are people that believe in them. I did it because she 'is' a very special little girl and I wanted her to know that. Doesn't ...doesn't every little girl deserve to believe they're special?" He asked looking directly into her eyes. Sarah just covered her mouth and looked to the floor. Eventually she lifted her gaze and nodded.

"Look, uh...it's getting late in the day and I have an early job interview tomorrow. So I'm gonna head home. You two have a great night OK?" Chuck asked trying to catch her gaze. Sarah nodded and cleared her throat.

"Right. Right. Well, good luck on your interview. We'll see ya later," she smiled at him finally meeting his gaze.

"Yeah. Thanks. I'm gonna need it. I hear the owner is kind of a hardass." Chuck smirked as he waved goodbye.

A/N2: Those seasonal allergies...that's gotta be it. (sniff) I'm not ashamed to admit that there were some points were I had to take a break to pull myself together while writing this chapter. Let me know what you think. I like the reviews, so keep them comin'. I like to understand what you like and don't, what makes sense and not.

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