A/N: *Peaks out from behind wall* We good? I knew when I wrote 2 I'd get some reactions….I didn't know that much, but that means you felt something. I finished chapter 8 last night, so I thought I'd give you all something since I'm not going to post anything all weekend and things might slow down a touch (Grace has sprained/fractured her ankle. She was apparently ironically named). Some of you think it's moving fast, I don't know if it is or not, the pace feels right given their back story (hey, Jordan hasn't called him Dad yet, I'm doing better.) The DEFCON mess up is all me, when you reach a certain age you should verify things and not try to use your memory. One last thing, Charahkids….you might want to premedicate. The answers many of you wanted…you're about to get. Welcome to Wanting It All Ch 4, Birthday Presents

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, I don't dance well, but you gotta admit, I do fluff pretty well.

The two women broke the hug and Sarah wasn't sure what to do.

Ellie studied Sarah and shook her head. "You should have called me." There was a look on her face of hurt that Sarah didn't understand. "You know I lost someone that day too." Sarah was shocked by that revelation. "That's why I've been so mad. You hurt him, but you hurt me. Although looking back, it seems everyone was hurt."

Sarah took a deep breath. "Do you think I can fix this?" she asked in an almost whispered tone.

Ellie squeezed Sarah's upper arms in support. They NEEDED to talk, about what they both did, but that could come later, for now, Sarah needed her friend and it was time Ellie started acting like it. "Hey, Sarah, I do." She paused, but she knew she had to say what she was thinking or she would never forgive herself. "I swear if I find out you're playing me…"

"Ellie, never, I swear to you, never!" Sarah was near panicked. Ellie had to understand, and just like that, eight years was gone, and there was the understanding woman that had become Sarah's friend. Ellie gave her an understanding smile and nodded. Relief flowed through Sarah. "What do I do?"

Ellie grinned. Sarah was worried about how to get back Chuck? She had no idea just how easy that was. In fact, some would argue they had never really broke up, they were just separated. "Just be you, Sweetie, that fool can't stop himself when it comes to you." Sarah smiled. "And, be honest, but take it slow. Telling me like this is one thing, throwing all that at Chuck at once….whew! He might pop his top."

"Okay, I can do that, and I understand if you want John Casey to do more digging." Ellie gave her a look. "CIA Analyst, and a good one."

"That doesn't surprise me, you were good at everything." They hugged again and the two walked out. Ellie motioned to a very physically fit man. "Sarah, this is my fiancé, Devon, Devon, meet my friend, Sarah Walker."

Devon shook her hand and grinned, an idea popping into his head. "Have you met Ellie's brother Chuck?" Ellie closed her eyes. She loved him, but somedays…

Sarah snickered. "Devon, my name used to be Jenny Burton. For long, complicated reasons, I had to change it to Sarah Walker."

"Wait, you're Jenny Burton." Devon looked to Ellie, his eyes wide. Ellie nodded. "You're Jenny Burton?! Chuckster!"

"Please forgive him," Ellie said, giving him a side eye. "He means no harm."

"Nothing to forgive."

"Say, we can watch Jordan one night if you'd like us too if you two want a night alone." Ellie was grinning over her idea.

There was the matchmaker Sarah knew and loved. "Thanks, Ellie. Maybe down the road, but here's the hard truth, this is who I am."

"Hi," Chuck said, cutting in, sticking his head between Ellie and Sarah, looking at Sarah. "I don't know if you've heard, but I'm the birthday boy, and they're playing my song."

She chuckled as she listened to the music. "I'll Stop the World and Melt with You by Modern English is your song?" Sarah asked with an amused smiled.

Chuck listened to the music and shrugged. "Will you dance with me?"

"Sure," she replied.

His face broke into her favorite smile, the one where his nose crinkled, and she had to fight down tears. "Then it is now!" She laughed as he pulled her out to dance. He was quiet for a minute, smirking. "Sooooo, you're alive." She gave him a look. "Ellie."

She laughed at that. "I am. Ellie and I are good, I just have to promise to tell you the truth."

His face took a serious expression. "Is that gonna be hard, Sarah?"

She stopped dancing and pulled him over to the side. She searched his eyes and realized she had to speak quickly or get lost in there. Some things never changed. "You've heard things I take it?"

Chuck blew out a breath and nodded. "I have, and if you can't tell me some things, I understand."

"So you know that I was a CIA analyst?" Chuck nodded. "Chuck, can we do this slow? I'll tell you everything, but…I've told Ellie everything, well, the highlights. But you, Chuck, that's different, you deserve to hear all of it. Each thing affects you differently than it does everyone else." Chuck nodded, understanding what she was saying. "I WILL tell you everything, but it's going to be ten times more emotionally taxing. So slow."

He nodded, and looked a little worried. "Okay, but there's a few things I REALLY need to know." She nodded. "You and …"

She grinned. This sweet, adorable man. She was so sorry she had hurt him, apparently changed him, but starting now she was going to help him get back to what he used to be. She knew what he needed, and she was there for it. "Daniel. Daniel Shaw, we're done. We really never were."

Chuck tried to hide his pleasure in that and failed just as miserably, as Sarah failed in holding down the feeling his look made her feel. He tried to be nonchalant. "Really, because let's face it, he's very fit, and …"

Sarah cut him off, because he had to know, needed to know how she felt. "And he's not you, and he'll never measure up as much as you try and build him up. Don't forget who you're talking to Nerd Boy." She was having more fun than she could remember at any point it the last eight years.

He tried to look affronted and failed miserably. "Shhh." He looked around his finger to his lips to see who heard.

Nope, he wasn't doing this, they were going to be them, and she was going to remind him, just how special he was. "Uh, no. You are Nerd Boy. You, who made your own freakin company, like you said you would." She had tears in her eyes. She reached up and moved one of his curls to where she wanted it. "You called it Barsoft…why?"

Chuck gave her a soft smile. "Because the best person I ever knew thought it was a good idea."

She beamed at him and smoothed out his shirt. "Okay, one more tonight, because it's your birthday."

Chuck had a thought. "What if every time I take you and Jordan somewhere you have to tell me one thing that I want to know?" Chuck was ginning.

Sarah gave him her smiling stink eye. "Chuck, are you trying to ask me out?"

He shyly took her hand. "Sarah, do I seem like the kind of guy that would have trouble asking out his beautiful former girlfriend?"

She stepped close and whispered into his ear. "You haven't changed that much, Nerd Boy."

Chuck had to blink a few times. "Keep that up…" he stopped, the grin fell off of his face and he silently berated himself.

She stepped back and saw his face. "What is it?" she asked, concerned.

He shook his head. "Sorry, I just fell right back into it. I was gonna say I still know where that spot is on your neck." She raised an eyebrow. "I know, my bad."

She took her left hand and gently lifted his head and her right hand grabbed his shirt. "Chuck."

Chuck knew this move from back in the day, but she couldn't…she wouldn't…"Uh, Sarah."

She grinned at him, knowing what he was thinking. He had no idea how long she had wanted to do this. "Happy birthday," she said softly. His eyes got wide in hope and in a second her lips were connected with his. It was eight years ago, and right now, all in one, and he didn't know how to think properly. They separated and her eyes danced.

"That's the second best gift anyone's ever given me on my birthday."

"Chuck," she said softly, needing him to know how she felt. "We're older now, I promise you there are better gifts I can give you." His brain locked, broke, and fell out his ear. "Call me and we'll all go out." He nodded stupidly. She grinned and started to turn, when she felt a hand on her wrist, gently. Oh, God, he was going to ask her to stay, and she wanted to, but she couldn't, her son. "I'm sorry, I have to get home to Jordan."

He smiled that soft understanding smile that she had only ever seen him smile at her. "I know, I just wanted to say thanks for coming, you had many more reasons not to than to come."

She studied his eyes for a second. The hell with it. She had flown from DC with little to no prayer of even getting this far, she wasn't shutting down now. "Chuck, you're wrong. I have one reason to come, and it outweighed everything. I never stopped loving you." She stroked his cheek, cupped it, gently kissed his lips, turned and headed to her car. "Good night, Chuck," she called over her shoulder

"Good night….Nerd Girl."

She froze. It had been a long time since she had heard that. She turned back around. He had warned her if she spent too much time with him, she would turn into a nerd. She had told him that was now her number one dream. "Bartowski." He smirked at her. She raised an eyebrow. "I do believe it's Nerd Woman now." She had her hands on her hips in a very challenging pose.

He bit his bottom lip, shook his head and laughed. "Walker, I missed you."

She winked at him. "Missed you, Bartowski, good night." He watched her leave. He felt Ellie right beside him.

"Still don't trust her?"

She had watched it all. She believed Sarah. She knew Chuck was done for even if he didn't. She thought eight years had been much too long so she decided to give him a solid push in the back. "I do, I got my sister back." She patted him on the back, turned and walked away. It dawned on him what she had said.

"Sister?!" he sputtered.

-ooooo-

"You have a visitor," Morgan said, sticking his head into Chuck's office. Chuck looked up and scratched his beard. He normally didn't grow a beard, but since this contract with the government he'd gone from almost retired to eighty hour work weeks. He didn't mind the work, he just minded not getting to see his girl. Wait, he couldn't say that, she wasn't his girl, was she? He needed to shave. He didn't think he had since the party.

Sarah stepped into the room and paused looking at him. She didn't know she liked beards until she saw Chuck with one. "Going mountain man, Bartowski?" Sarah asked, bringing Jordan in with her. "If I'd of known I wouldn't see you for the next week and a half I would have never have given you the contract."

"But then you'd of missed all of the stimulating emails we've exchanged."

Sarah laughed. "Don't think I didn't catch you capitalized each letter in the email to make the word taskmaster."

He chuckled. "You were a CIA analyst." Jordan was studying Chuck's computer. Chuck grinned, pushed back his chair, and held out his hands. Jordan took off around the desk, and climbed up onto Chuck's lap to study the keyboard. "Now don't touch anything, okay?" He nodded and leaned forward.

"Uh, I have video games in my office," Morgan said. Jordan perked up.

"Hey, Morgan, use my system on that tv over there," Chuck replied. Sarah gave him a look. "Mario Kart?" Sarah grinned. "I'm sure you prefer he stay nearby." She nodded and watched as Jordan ran back around the desk and over to the couch to play games with Morgan. "I really hope this is the last thing."

It better be. She didn't come back to LA to make Chuck work stupid hours. She came back to be with him. "Me too," Sarah said. "Morgan stops by every night complaining how much you're working."

"Are you enjoying entertaining your two sons?" She shot him a look and Chuck laughed.

She bounced a shoulder. "At least my older one entertains my younger one." The smirk on her face made Chuck smile. "I need to get away for a bit, just out of my house."

Chuck wasn't sure if he should ask, but he did. "What about Daniel?"

Sarah shrugged. "He knows how to get in touch. It happens when he's on a mission, who knows how long he'll be." Chuck nodded. "What I feel the worst about is I came here to work on my personal life and my professional life is getting in the way of my personal life." She gave him a very direct look so he had no doubt about who she was talking to.

Here goes nothing he thought to himself. "So, I've got this big house, with lots of bedrooms that I don't use, a pool…"

She rested her hands on the desk and bent forward. "Are you asking to spend a weekend with you?"

He leaned forward until there were only inches between their noses. Her eyebrow lifted, and a smirk was on her face. God he missed this woman. "You said you wanted to get away, we haven't had two seconds face to face, not that I haven't enjoyed our text, emails, and phone calls, but I just want to spend time with you, and at the end of the night, you can retreat to your room."

She batted her eyelashes. "What if I don't want to retreat to my room?"

EPP! "Welp, there that is." Chuck looked nervous.

She straightened up. Crap, too fast. "Spit it out, Chuck."

He looked uncomfortable, and he began hesitantly. "Look, I don't know what happened," he began.

So this was about the past. "And I need to tell you," Sarah said, understanding. "Okay so that's what we talk about, that one thing?"

Chuck shrugged. "Up to you, pretty lady, you go at your pace. Now, I would like to finish this so maybe I can talk this amazing woman I know into a back rub."

She had caught the pretty lady part, and she needed to get this back to jokey before she attacked him. "Bolonia gives good one, huh?"

"The best," Chuck retorted. She sat down beside him. "I find it really cool you know this stuff." The look on his face was absolute honesty.

She leaned over and shoulder bumped him. "I had to learn some to do my job, but I'll let you in on a secret, I learned the basics from my high school boyfriend. He was such a nerd. A hottie, but a nerd."

Chuck's eyebrows shot up. "Hottie, huh?"

She bounced a shoulder. "Call 'em like I see 'em. Now quit flirting and let me search for where this code needs to go so we can be done with this." He looked at her and their chair situation. They had some distance between them. He made a gesture with his head, and she scooted right beside him. They began to work, her pointing out something that was needed, and he made the correction. They were rubbing shoulders constantly, and quick teasing touches on each other's arms. At one point they both turned to look at each other, the same grin on each of their faces. "Out of curiosity, is there anything in the contract about me kissing you?"

"Specifically, no, personally, you better, or I'm gonna attack your face." Chuck paused. "What?"

Chuck got a dreamy look on his face. "I'm not sure that's the threat you think it is." She leaned over and kissed him quickly, and pulled away.

He gave her a mock annoyed look. "That's not attacking someone's face!" Sarah raised a challenging eyebrow and kissed him. Chuck knew he enjoyed kissing her, but he had forgotten how much.

"Uh, children present," Morgan said.

Chuck had turned to look at Morgan so he didn't realize she had leaned over to his ear. "You sure you want me to go to my room at night?" she asked softly.

Chuck's brain was misfiring. He wasn't sure he was ready for that. "I do, for now, but I might change my mind."

"Why do they keep kissing?" Jordan asked Morgan softly.

Morgan turned toward Jordan. He thought about telling him a story, but he figured Jordan should know. "A few years ago, your Mom and Chuck were really in love. It was the greatest love story ever. Something happened that split them up. It shouldn't have, but it did. They've been apart for nearly eight years but they love each other as much as they did when first met each other."

"Is that why my mommy and daddy aren't together?"

Morgan gulped. "That's part of it, there are other reasons, but have you ever really loved a food, but are made to eat another one?"

"All the time. Mac and cheese is the best."

Morgan thought for a second. "Of course it is, but sometimes you have to eat vegetables."

Jordan sat for a second thinking. "So my dad is a vegetable?"

Morgan blinked. "I'm really terrible at this."

Jordan had continued to think about the situation. "Mommy's happy here. Chuck makes her happy. Daddy is seeing me more here, and that is making me happy."

"So?"

"So I like it here, it's the happiest place on earth."

"SHHHHH!" Morgan whispered.

"Did I hear the happiest place on earth?" Chuck asked.

"How does he hear that?" Morgan asked in awe.

"Chuck, no, he's not ready, I'm not ready," Sarah was pleading. He grinned. "Chuck Bartowski, don't you dare!"

"Uh, oh," Morgan said.

"What's going on?" Jordan was watching with curiosity.

"Well, Sarah's in trouble," Morgan explained. "Chuck is going to use the world famous Bartowski eyebrow dance, probably a bit of a pouty face, ooooh he's upped his game there, some finger pistols, and if he has too, the bedroom eyes to get your mom to go to Disneyland."

"Fiiiiiine, but we're all not ready," they heard Sarah say. Morgan turned to Jordan and shrugged.

Back over at the computer, Sarah was purposefully reaching over Chuck to push buttons. As she did, he would tickle her rib cage leading to Sarah laughing. She spun around, amusement dancing in her eyes. She saw something in his, and it wasn't what she was hoping for.

"Listen, I know this is selfish, but I need something from you." Chuck took a deep breath and said the thing that has been weighing on his mind since this whole reunion had started. "You can't leave again like that. If you have to go, you hmphfmph-" Sarah's hand had closed his lips and she was staring into his eyes.

"Listen very closely to me, Bartowski, because you need to hear this." He tried to grin when she called him Bartowski, she knew he liked it. "Admit it," she said softly. "You're like those hyenas in The Lion King when they say, do it again, do it again?" Chuck nodded his head the best he could to imitate Ed the Hyena. She laughed. "I am not leaving you." She glanced over at Morgan who nodded. "I need you to listen, and to not say a word. I will give you the part of this story you need, there is more, but we can't do it now." Chuck nodded. She removed her hand.

"The afternoon after the prom, my dad asked me to go to the store," she began.

"What?!" Chuck blurted out. Sarah gave him a look. "Sorry."

She watched him, he would never be quiet until he said his piece. "Get it out."

"He told me he didn't know where you were." Sarah let him catch up. "Wait a-" Sarah cocked an eyebrow. "Shutting up."

"I got back home, and he said you had dropped off a note." She waited for the explosion. There wasn't one, because Chuck had forced him lips shut, but he was upset. "The note was forged, my father can forge anything." He gave her a look. "Later, I promise." She took a deep breath.

There was only one thing that letter could have said. "Last night was a mistake?" he asked, thinking it couldn't be that easy. She nodded. "And you believed I'd say that?" She looked away.

"Chuck….this goes into so much more." She looked at him, and then glanced at Morgan. The nod he gave her, told her what she had to do. "My Dad is a con artist, and I helped him for some time." She was silent and looked at Chuck. Of course, NOW he would be quiet. She chuckled at the irony. "My dad believed there was one big con in the world, love. Love was for suckers. There was no such thing. A guy is only after one thing after all." Chuck looked up at the ceiling and let out a breath he was holding. He took her hand, surprising her, but he remained quiet. "I loved you Chuck. I love you. But I didn't see me like you saw me, and I fell for it. I didn't believe in me like you did. But your belief and love stayed with me. I didn't understand how much our talking about our future scared my dad. He thought he was doing me a favor. I have a DVD he sent me if you need to see it. He's currently in jail. He made it there." She took a breath. "So, after I read your supposed letter he said it was time to go. I went. I was stupid."

"No," he choked out. He cleared his throat. "No Sarah. He used you, took advantage of you, and did what he thought was best for you, not let you decide what was best for you."

"You remember when I didn't get you anything for your birthday?" Chuck gave her a look. "I mean buy you anything."

He grinned. "I like your non-money spent presents."

Sarah grinned at him. "I didn't think you'd appreciate me buying you something using money made on cons."

Chuck grinned at her. He was silent and thought for a minute. "How can you still love me?"

Sarah gave him a look. "Oh, I was angry at you Chuck, and that's what made it so hard."

Chuck looked down, swallowed, and looked back up, hurt in his eyes. "Then why didn't you ever try and contact me?"

Sarah nodded. "Lot of reasons, some of which are tied into another huge story, but pride." She blew out a breath. "I'll explain more later, but I couldn't quit my job due to my contract. I was mad, hurt, and embarrassed. I tried to forget you. I met Daniel, he was trying to forget, so we tried to forget together."

Chuck looked over at the couch. "That little guy?"

She nodded her head. "After the first time." Chuck closed his eyes. "So now I had a kid. So how does that phone call go, hey Chuck, uh, why did you break up with me, and I'm pregnant."

He shook his head. "Almost like the universe was against us."

She nodded. "I know, but I had Jordan, and I single-momed it…a lot. Daniel helped financially but he has a mission and he thinks he might die from it, and he's willing to."

Chuck blinked. "That's…a LOT."

Sarah nodded. "But, it became clear we were never enough for him, though I tried to fool myself. My contract ran out, and I began contemplating coming back here. I really think I would have, and then the DVD cane and that pushed it over the edge. I never stopped loving you, Chuck. It just took a long time for the love to overpower the anger." He nodded. She shoulder bumped him, and smirked. "Come on, you don't still have some feelings for me?"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "I mean, obviously, I never quit caring about you, loving you, or wondering where you were."

She sighed. "That last past, is another story for another day, because I don't have it in me, and we need to finish this." Chuck typed in a line of code. She hit enter, looking him in the eye. He kissed her nose, and she blushed. She leaned forward and snapped her teeth closed right in front of his nose, making him jump back. She laughed and studied the line. "I think we're done…" She looked up at him, surprise on her face. "We're done!"

"No, Sarah," he replied. "We're just getting started." Her heart nearly exploded from that. There was a chance for them. She smiled, leaned in, and kissed him.

"Kids!" Morgan yelled.

"Don't care!" Sarah yelled back.

A/N: Have a good weekend folks. Try to be back by the middle of next week. Hoped you liked it, reviews are always welcomed…til next time.

DC