A/N: Walks and conversations. More conversations. Visits with some friends. As a wise man once said, the board is set and the pieces are moving. Take my advice and bring snacks. When the time comes, you'll understand why. I didn't get as far in the timeline as I mentioned to some of you in PMs. Voice in my Head would not shut up and stay on task.

Disclaimer: Valentine's Day has come and gone for another year. None of my Valentine's cards contained the ownership papers for Chuck. I have to pay for my internet connection and my TV services, so not only do I not make any money from Chuck, I actually spend money on Chuck, indirectly.

Chapter 20 – Infinite Possibilities

November 12

Sarah was anxious. No, that wasn't right. She was impatient. Impatient to see Chuck. Her Chuck. She missed her Chuck. It had almost been twenty-four hours since she'd last seen him. Almost twenty-four hours since everything had changed. For her. For him. For them. It made her a little dizzy.

She'd awoken that morning thinking about Chuck. His revelations the previous day. Him hugging her. Walking with him. Hugging. Talking with him. Hugging. Him teasing her. Chuck. Teasing. Her. What a big step. And then their last hug. She hoped he'd slept well. Sarah had gotten possibly the best night's sleep of her life. She'd spent the morning thinking about him and mulling over everything he'd told her, barely paying attention in any of her classes. The CATS had met for lunch and spent the entire time discussing Chuck with a side of gently teasing her about her daydreaming. After lunch, there had been a meeting with Dr. Beckman where the advisor had informed her that their fundraising had surpassed the fifty-thousand-dollar goal and now stood at over fifty-two thousand. Something told her that they had Chuck to thank for calling his parents and galvanizing the support effort. When Dr. Beckman brought up the subject of Chuck himself, Sarah had been surprised to learn that the advisor had known about the previous day's events. In fact, Dr. Beckman had gone so far as to ask her how she was doing, in light of what she'd learned.

"It's a lot to take in and process," Sarah had admitted. "I'm sure that I'll have more questions for him, but it's nothing I can't handle." She'd grinned. "We've started talking things out. I'm helping him figure out how to be a 'free range kid' for the first time in his life." Beckman had chuckled at the term.

"He's got a lot of challenges, but he's a good one, Sarah. Take care of him, please," Beckman had requested.

"Don't worry, Ma'am. I plan to," Sarah had replied. "How'd you find out about it? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Chuck's mom, Mary, called me. Remember we've been friends since our Songbird days. Apparently, she'd heard from her daughter, Ellie. I'm guessing Chuck told Ellie. Unless you told Ellie yourself," the advisor had smiled.

"Nope, it wasn't me. Must have been Chuck," Sarah had smiled and shaken her head.

"Must be gratifying to know that he was excited enough about telling you everything that he called his sister to talk about it," Dr. Beckman had grinned. Sarah had returned it with one of her own.

"Yes, Ma'am. It is," she'd said before leaving for practice. Hmmm. Chuck was excited about being lab partners. She could work with that.

Practice had turned out to be interesting, too. It had been obvious that Chuck wasn't there and that everyone missed him. If the constant looks toward his accustomed study spot weren't enough to prove it, the fact that they were all being bitchy to each other would have. Finally, Sarah had called a stop to the practice.

"OK, enough. Let's just get it out there. I miss Chuck. I think we all miss Chuck," Sarah had said pointing her finger and waving it in a circle indicating all of them. "There's nothing we can do about it, except look forward to seeing him at dinner. That and working our damn asses off so we can create a show that, when we perform it for him, knocks his socks off and takes his breath away. OK?" Lots of nods of agreement and some grins. "But first, let's take a few minutes to say what we want to say before we get back to figuring out how to knock his socks off." And vent they did. At the end, Beca had raised her hand again and Sarah had listened to her ideas and suggestions. Then they got back to work and redoubled their efforts.

After practice, Sarah had gone out to 'run', but, once again, had met up with Ellie to talk. She hadn't been surprised to find out that Ellie already knew the details, from Chuck's perspective, given her earlier conversation with Dr. Beckman. Ellie had praised her for how she'd handled the whole situation and thanked her, profusely, for being willing to take things at whatever pace Chuck felt comfortable with. They'd agreed that Chuck would get to where he needed and wanted to be. It would just take time for him to process it and figure out how it all worked in his head. That was one thing no one could help him with. All anyone could do was support him. Sarah promised Ellie that she would do whatever it took because Chuck was 'one of the good ones' and worth it.

"He's not the only one who's one of the good ones and worth it, Sarah," Ellie had smiled. "You're dealing with all the stuff in this relationship, too, you know, not just him. Remember that I'll always be there to do whatever I can to help you. With Chuck, but also what you're feeling." Sarah had nodded her thanks.

"I really appreciate it, Ellie. Hope for the future is going to be a major source of my resolve, but I know it won't always be easy for me. Don't be surprised when I take you up on your offer," she'd smiled. Ellie had just giggled and squeezed her arm warmly.

Now, here she was waiting for her lab partner to show up to dinner. Sarah was willing to go along with that fiction for now, but she planned on getting him to admit to a change in that status and his mindset as soon as she could. It might take some time, but she vowed to be patient with him, at least for a while. Her growling stomach had finally forced her to look away from the serving line and begin to eat. As fate would have it, Sarah hadn't eaten more than a few bites before she felt the Songbirds around her begin to get restless.

"Lab partner at twelve o'clock," Carina whispered. Sarah had confided that little tidbit, at least, to her friends the night before. On hearing Carina's declaration, Sarah's head shot up and she locked her eyes on her Chuck. The redhead saw her unconsciously licking her lips. "Be cool, Blondie. Be cool."

"This is me being cool," Sarah retorted.

"Blondie, if this is your definition of being cool, I'll need a firehose to cool you off when you finally get around to being all hot and bothered," Carina teased. Never taking her eyes off Chuck, Sarah snorted.

"Hush you, I've got a job to do," Sarah whispered out of the side of her mouth.

"If you think of it as a job, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place," the redhead chided.

"Quiet! I'm on a mission to turn a lab partner into a boyfriend," Sarah hissed. Carina bit her cheek to keep from laughing.

"Good! Chuckles, doesn't stand a chance," she grinned, happy for her friend.

"Nope," the blonde retorted, popping the 'p'. They both watched Chuck make a beeline toward their table. He was moving so purposefully that his long legs left his shorter friend behind, so he didn't see Morgan smiling and shaking his head. The lanky pitcher wasn't making any effort to be cool at all. Carina shook her head, grinning.

Chuck marched up to Sarah and his spot at their table, ignoring the greetings tossed his way. She had already stood to welcome him. After gently placing his food on the table, he turned to her with singular focus. Sarah smiled and opened her arms. He stepped into her embrace and they hugged fiercely for a long moment, both noticing their familiar snap. There was a smattering of applause. A few soft whistles. Even a couple of catcalls. Some cheers. The lab partners didn't hear any of it. They were too busy experimenting. More than a few people at the surrounding tables looked on, charmed. When they pulled apart, Chuck heard a voice.

"What are we, Chuck? Chopped liver?" Zondra teased.

"What's wrong with chopped liver?" Chuck asked, looking over at the grinning dark-haired member of the CATS. "I like chopped liver. Foie gras. Mmmm."

"Why do I even bother," the brunette shook her head frowning before snorting. There were several chuckles around the table. Chuck just shrugged before turning back to Sarah.

"How's your head, Chuck?" she asked softly.

"Fine," he answered just as quietly.

"What were you thinking about?" Sarah whispered.

"You. Just you, Sarah," he grinned crookedly. She smiled back at him, squeezing his arm.

"Thank you, that's what your lab partner wants to hear. No problems?"

"Well … there was one problem," Chuck admitted. Sarah's smile turned into alarm.

"What? What's the problem? Are you OK?" she asked louder, her voice full of concern. The CATS all tensed. Chuck's eyes widened when he realized how what he'd said had sounded.

"Sarah. Sarah, calm down. I'm sorry if I scared you. All I was going to say was that I missed you this afternoon. I missed hanging out with everyone at y'all's practice, too," he said apologetically. Sarah was so relieved that there wasn't anything really wrong, that she couldn't be mad. Besides, she … they … had all missed him, too.

"What am I going to do with you, Chuck Bartowski?" she wondered, smiling. Hopefully a lot, she thought. Down, girl. "You need to know that I missed you, too. We all did." Nods and affirmations around the table. Chuck smiled and ducked his head. Pointing at Sarah's chair, he took his own.

He didn't notice Carina's eyes widening or her moving her head trying to attract Sarah's attention. When the blonde looked over at her, she mouthed, "We need to talk. After dinner!" Sarah's own eyes narrowed in confusion, but she nodded her agreement.

Dinner passed with the normal discussions of daily college life mixed with friendly teasing back and forth. Alex and Morgan did their normal disappearing act at its conclusion. Chuck and the CATS walked back to Roble Hall together. As they were arriving, Chuck asked Sarah if she was up for another walk, but she begged off, citing a project paper due and test set for the next day, both of which were absolutely true. She was also mindful of Carina's desire to talk to her.

"You don't have to convince me," he said. "If anyone understands having a lot to do for a given day in school, it's me. No worries, we'll do it another time."

"Thank you, Chuck," Sarah said, gratefully, but a little sad that they couldn't spend more time together that evening. The five of them rode the elevator to the girls' floor. Outside the door to the suite, Chuck smiled and spoke.

"Hug?" he asked.

"Hug," she agreed.

They mutually opened their arms and stepped into their embrace. After a beat or two, Sarah gently rubbed one of her arms down and up Chuck's back to gauge his reaction. She thought she heard a soft sigh. Smiling, she slowly pulled back.

"Report, lab partner," she commanded, grinning. Chuck chuckled.

"Head fine. No headache. Thinking of only you," he replied, as requested. She beamed her happiness. Neither one of them saw Carina nodding to herself.

"Excellent, Chuck. Another successful experiment," Sarah said as officially as she could. Chuck stepped back, sliding his hands to her biceps, giving them a gentle squeeze. Her knees got a little weak.

"I better leave y'all to it, then," he said. "Have a good night. I'll see y'all tomorrow." He looked at Sarah. "Bye, Sarah. Sleep well and good luck with your paper and your test tomorrow. I'll be thinking about you, but I know you'll do great." He gave her a crooked grin and a one-handed jazz hand wave as he looked at all four suitemates.

"Bye, Chuck. Tomorrow. Have a good night," Sarah smiled shyly, watching as he turned and walked away. When he was out of sight, Carina opened their door and pulled the younger women into the room. Amy and Zondra followed.

"OK, what's up, Carina?" Sarah asked. "What's so important that you had to speak to me right now? I wanted to take another walk with Chuck." She pouted, giving her older roommate an exasperated frown.

"Sarah, don't be mad," Carina put her hands up with a placating gesture. "I'm not pulling anything with you, I swear. I saw some things when you hugged Chuck at dinner and just now and I had a thought about this whole hugging business." Sarah was still frowning, but it was more curiosity than exasperation.

"Hmmm. What's on your mind, Red?"

"Well, the first thing is since you've been hugging him, has Chuck always said that he was only thinking of you while you were hugging?"

"Yeah. He's said that each time I've asked him about what's going on inside his head. Why?" She had a bit of a dreamy expression.

"What does that mean?" the older girl asked. Sarah stopped daydreaming and focused on the auburn-haired older woman.

"What do you mean? What does it mean?" Sarah replied quizzically.

"What I mean is, have you asked him what he's talking about when he says that he's only thinking about you? You have one view of what it means to you, but what does he mean when he says that?" Carina wondered. Sarah shrugged, shaking her head that she didn't know. Her friends could tell that she was too close to it to see.

"Why are you asking that?" she wondered.

"Think about it, Sarah. He told us yesterday that he's got this endless movie about his life running in his head all of the time. He sees what's going on right now, but he also sees that movie. All. Of. The. Time," Carina reported. Understanding bloomed in the younger woman's eyes.

"So, you're wondering if that movie is still running when we hug? Is it gone during that time or muted or in the background or something?"

"Exactly. That's exactly what I'm talking about."

"I have no idea," Sarah shook her head. "I have to ask him."

"Yes, you do," Carina agreed. "Now, for the second thing." Sarah tensed.

"What is it?" she asked, cautiously, not certain what her friend was going to say to her. When the redhead spoke, Sarah was surprised and not, at the same time, by what she said. It was Carina, after all.

"Chuck's issue is all about sex, Sarah," the statuesque red-haired CAT declared. "Well, it's actually the orgasms that he's worried about." Sarah couldn't help rolling her eyes, blushing a little, but when she looked back at her roommate, she could see that Carina looked completely serious and she had no choice but to go along. She snorted.

"OK, fine. I'll bite. What is Chuck's worry about orgasms?" Sarah couldn't believe that she was willingly walking into one of Carina's teasing sessions.

"Come on, Sarah. Use that great brain of yours," Carina threw her hands out in front of her with her palms up. "What happens when someone orgasms?" Sarah just looked at her, refusing to be baited, her cheeks reddening further. Red shook her head. "They lose control. Only for a little while, but they lose control." She paused. "Well, they lose control if the sex is good, that is." There it was. There was the Carina that she knew and loved. Sarah couldn't help chuckling and shaking her head. The older woman pressed on, completely serious. "The better the sex is, the longer the orgasm can last and the longer the orgasm lasts, the longer the person isn't in control of themselves." Now, Sarah was beginning to see what Carina was talking about. "And what happens to Chuck when he loses control? One or more of those doors of his can open and he goes into an episode." Sarah wasn't sure if she believed Carina's assertions about sex and orgasms, but without any experiences of her own with a partner, she had nothing else to go on. It wasn't one of the things that she had allowed herself any time to investigate. That might have to change. This was so embarrassing. She forced herself to focus her attention back on her friend.

"That's right!" Sarah snapped her fingers. "He was talking about that very thing last night, but so much happened yesterday, it didn't properly register," Sarah remembered. "So, what you're saying is Chuck is afraid of having an orgasm and losing control. He tried to solve the problem logically and worked backwards from sex and orgasms to what he felt was the safest thing for him to try and do. He looked at all of the things he could think of that a boy and girl might do with each other and picked hugs as the safest since he'd been hugging people all of his life, but just not romantically." All three older CATS were nodding their heads emphatically. She found she was blushing, again.

"Atta girl. You got it in one," Carina teased. "What do you plan to do about it?" She crossed her arms and waited.

Sarah pursed her lips and squinted, thinking, trying to tamp down her embarrassment. "The first thing I need to do is ask Chuck to explain what he means when he says he's only thinking about me when we hug." Nods from her friends. "Then I need to figure out a way to get Chuck to talk to me about his fears. Find out if what you said is actually right, Carina." More nods. "That could take some time. I've got no idea. But, in the meantime, I could work on getting him to separate sex from the rest of it. I mean, sex is a big step in any relationship, but holding hands and kissing is stuff people do together long before any of the rest of it," she paused.

"I sense a 'but' coming," Carina observed.

"Yeah, there is. What's even more important is talking to Chuck about his emotions. What he feels when we're together. And when we're not. All of the physical stuff he's focused on is only an expression of the emotional connection two people feel for each other," Sarah concluded.

"There's the psychology major I've known for four years," Carina nodded.

"I should've taken another walk with him tonight," Sarah grumped, opening her notes so she could study, but spending much of her time thinking about Chuck.

Chuck returned to his room and found it empty, as expected. He needed to get to the library, but he'd been thinking about Sarah all during his solitary walk back to his floor and he needed to talk to someone more than he needed the study time. Sitting down, he set up his security like always. Once it was running, he booted up his computer. While he waited, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to his mom, requesting a video chat with both of his parents. There was a quick response by the time his laptop had completed its startup sequence. He started his VPN and his video chat application before pinging his parents' address. The handshaking procedure was completed and he was looking at his parents. Both of them were smiling.

"We were wondering how long it would take you to call us," Mary grinned.

"I take it that Ellie already told you," Chuck grinned back, shaking his head.

"You're not mad, are you?" his mother sounded a little concerned.

"No, not really," he paused "Well, maybe a little bit. After I talked to her, I sort of figured that she'd call you. I guess half the state of California knows by now," he grumped and then chuckled.

"Probably more than that," Stephen joked. Chuck started to laugh. It felt good not to be holding those secrets inside anymore.

"If you figured out that your sister called us, why are you calling? Just to give us the story from your perspective?" Mary smiled, before getting serious. "Or was there something else you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Kind of both actually, if I'm being completely honest," Chuck admitted.

"Why don't you tell us what's happened over the last few days and then we can talk about the other thing when you're done? Does that sound good?" Mary asked. She and her husband were both brilliant in their own right. After Ellie's call the previous evening, they'd talked and thought they had a good idea what Chuck wanted to discuss with them.

"Yeah. OK, that works," Chuck agreed. Then he told them his story. The gun range incident bothered them, but they hid it. Stephen made a mental note to talk with Langston to get his take on it. Not mad like Ellie had been, but a bit concerned. Their hearts swelled with pride when he told them about his revealing his secrets to the CATS. Getting that off of his mind was a huge step for him, but they felt for him when he told them the difficult parts of the tale. When they talked later, they agreed that Sarah pushing upset them, but they couldn't see any other way Chuck would have volunteered so much information. Him summoning up the courage to ask Sarah to walk with him made them smile. When he talked about being 'lab partners' they gave each other a knowing look. They'd been 'lab partners' themselves once. Both parents cringed when Chuck described his experiment idea and mentally applauded when Sarah came up with a simpler solution. By the time Chuck talked about hugging Sarah and giving her feedback, they knew that their discussion the previous night had been spot on. Chuck's story ended and he sat there looking at them. Before he could start to talk about the other thing he'd mentioned, his mother held up her hand to forestall him.

"Let me save you the trouble, Chuck. Your father and I talked last night after Ellie called and we think that we know what you're concerned about. What you're really concerned about." Chuck sat there wide-eyed and silent. "You're concerned about losing control when you orgasm during sex and having one of your episodes, right? So, you worked backwards through all of the things you've seen couples do in books and movies and landed on hugging as the safest place for you to start. Am I in the ballpark?" Mary asked very matter-of-factly.

"Mom …," Chuck began. This was a strange conversation to be having with your parents, even for him. He didn't blush, but they didn't expect him to. They'd had other odd conversations over the years.

"I'm your doctor right now, Chuck. Your psychologist and your psychiatrist. OK?" Chuck could see that his mother was in her clinical mode, so he nodded.

"OK. You're right, Mom, you're definitely in the ballpark. Actually, not just in the ballpark, but spot on," Chuck admitted.

"And you didn't really think, at first, about the emotional component of it. For either you or Sarah, did you?"

Chuck shook his head, feeling foolish. "No, I didn't, but Sarah brought it up and we talked about it." Mary beamed.

"Good for her. But you tried to tell her you didn't know if you had normal emotions like everyone else, because of your hyperthymesia." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, Doctor," Chuck said sheepishly. Mary started to glare at him, but smiled and shook her head instead.

"Chuck, you have normal emotions, trust me. We've seen you display them all of your life. You just haven't had a girl that you liked who liked you back before. Being worried about your brain is understandable, so follow Sarah's suggestion and pay attention to any headache coming on. Sex is a big step in any relationship, not just yours. That's not something either of you need to be focused on right this minute. We've talked to Ellie and Diane Beckman about Sarah." Chuck looked surprised. "What? Did you really think that we wouldn't try and find out about the girl our son was interested in?" Chuck shook his head with a worried expression on his face. "Don't worry. Diane thinks the world of her and so does Ellie. From what you've told us, she sounds like she really likes you and is willing and able to be your girl- … ahem … lab partner. Just talk to her. Tell her what you're feeling. Make sure to ask her what she's feeling, too. It's not all about you, you know. You're a normal red-blooded young man who's very, very smart. You'll do fine." Chuck gave her a dubious look. "And if you're ever concerned, at all, you can call us. Anytime. Day or night." Their son slowly nodded. "We love you, son, and all we want is for you to be happy."

"Thanks, Mom. Dad. I really appreciate it. And I love you both, too."

"Sarah seems like a wonderful girl," Mary added. Chuck got a dreamy look on his face. Both parents smiled. "You're thinking about her right now, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Mom. All of the time, in fact."

"All of the time, like normal for you?" Stephen asked.

"No, Dad. All of the time like she overwhelms the rest of my endless movie whenever I think about her." His parents shared a look that he didn't notice.

"That's good, son," his father cautiously replied before changing the subject. "How's school? Baseball?"

"Everything's fine, Dad. Just fine. I've started taking my gateway tests. They won't be a problem, just a lot to get through," Chuck answered, still sounding a bit dreamy. He refocused on his parents. "I better go. I've got to get to Terman Library for more research and studying. More tests tomorrow. Thanks for everything. Love you."

"You're welcome, son. Anytime." Stephen said. "We love you, too. Bye," both parents said together. When the call ended, they looked at each other. Mary had tears in her eyes. Stephen's eyes were glistening as well.

"I'm so happy for him. He's finally waking up and becoming a whole person. Sarah Walker seems like an amazing, amazing girl. Just what he's been hoping for. I can't wait to meet her," Mary gushed.

"She does sound amazing. Just the sort of girl Chuck needs. And deserves," Stephen nodded. "Notice how he didn't refer to us as Marvel villains this time?" His wife smiled and nodded.

"I hope that he's done with that phase of his life," Mary said, then turned thoughtful. "Maybe, I'll call Ellie and see if we can set up a ladies' lunch or something for the three of us sometime soon." Stephen's eyebrows climbed up his forehead.

"I think you should wait until Chuck actually introduces her to you," he admonished. "You don't want Chuck to start thinking you're meddling and manipulating things behind his back, again, do you?" He frowned slightly. Mary shook her head and wore a frown of her own.

"No, you're right. Chuck needs to be the one who decides when we get to meet Sarah. I promise to be patient. He's making progress and I don't want to interfere with it," Mary pouted, but smiled when she saw her husband nodding his agreement.

When Chuck disconnected the call, he had another thought. There was someplace else he needed to go. It looked like studying was going to be put off for a little while longer. Grabbing his car keys and wallet, he walked out of his room, locking the door as he went. It would only be a short drive downtown.

November 15

Ron Dixon had been surprised when he'd pulled up in front of Roble Hall to pick up Chuck Bartowski for his regular Friday trip to Miss Maisie's. For the first time, Chuck hadn't been alone, not in the least little bit, because standing next to the tall curly-haired baseball player was, quite possibly, the prettiest girl Ron had ever seen.

Naturally tall, she was also wearing heels that brought her closer to Chuck's impressive stature. Wavy light golden-blonde hair framed a smiling face showcasing cerulean-blue eyes that sparkled with anticipation. A blue blouse, that matched her eyes, accompanied by black jeans and a simple purse completed her appearance. She had greeted him warmly in a melodious voice when Chuck introduced them while they were climbing into his car together. Sarah Walker was her name and she made a fantastic first impression.

The trip to Miss Maisie's had been full of laughter and fun as the three occupants of the car enjoyed a lively conversation. Ron had actually been sad when the trip was over, promising to be back pronto when Chuck called him. Giving the young man a wink and a nod of approval, he'd driven off.

Sarah had turned away while Chuck completed the financial side of the taxi ride and now, she was looking up at the neon lights proclaiming the restaurant as "Miss Maisie's Jazzy Place". She'd been to the Calave wine bar, just down the street, a few times, courtesy of her fake id, but the CATS had never tried "Miss Maisie's". The enticing aromas that wafted from the restaurant, every time the door opened, were making Sarah's mouth water. She was practically bouncing with excitement as she thought back over the last couple of incredible days.

Wednesday evening, after dinner with its associated hug, Chuck and Sarah had taken another walk. After Chuck's revelations at the beginning of the week and their open discussion during their walk on that same evening, Tuesday had been a disappointment. While it had been true that she and Carina did have a necessary conversation, she'd missed taking a private walk with her Chuck. Their walk at midweek had given her the personal time with Chuck she so desired. They'd talked about everything and nothing. And they'd hugged. Oh my, had they hugged. She had an idle thought about what a picture they presented walking along and stopping to hug every few steps. If Chuck had wanted repetition, she'd given him repetition, Sarah giggled softly. He hadn't seemed to mind and, blissfully, his head hadn't issued any complaints, either. While they walked Chuck had told her that he'd told his baseball teammates his story that afternoon.

"How did they take it? What did they say?" Sarah had wanted to know, concerned how the alpha-male macho types on the team would react to her Chuck's revelations. He had frowned and shaken his head upon hearing her question.

"At first, they gave me a lot of grief. Kind of a weird combination of not believing me and thinking I was a freak," he'd shrugged. Sarah had been steaming when she'd heard him say that. "Coach Graham stepped in and set them straight. He told them that what I'd told them was true and if they doubted what I had said, they could talk to the dean of the engineering school and the president of the university and they would tell them the same thing. Morgan piped up and said he would swear on a stack of Bibles and beg to be struck dead if anything I'd said was a lie. After that, they calmed down," Chuck had even worn a small smile. "Then they asked me what all of it meant to baseball. When I told them that I remembered every baseball game I'd ever seen or played in, every pitch I'd thrown or seen thrown, and what every batter had done at the plate, they began to see how it could benefit the baseball team. And them. They got much more enthusiastic after that." Sarah had laughed.

"I just bet they did," she'd snorted. By that time, they'd found their bench again, their conversation had turned awkwardly confessional before turning mutually hilarious. Chuck had told her that he'd called his parents on Tuesday night and talked to them about everything.

"Sarah, I'm really sorry that I went on and on about all of that experiment stuff. I'm sorry that I didn't stop to consider you and your feelings in all of it. I was assuming a lot and expecting you to just agree to help me," he'd been shamefaced. "I don't have any excuse except I've been living in my own head since forever. Morgan's been my only close friend. The only friend that I've discussed anything really personal with. And you're a lot different than Morgan." He'd given her a goofy grin at that point.

"I should hope so, Chuck. I'm glad you noticed," she'd teased and luckily, he'd blushed and laughed with a 'duh' thrown in for good measure. "I understand. I really do," Sarah had reassured him. "This is all new to you. A lot of it is new to me, too." He'd looked surprised at that statement.

"Oh, wow. OK. Then, I'm even more sorry, Sarah," he'd said earnestly. "In the future, if I act like I'm forgetting you or your feelings, please set me straight. If I say anything that upsets you, let me know right away. I don't ever want to upset you. I promise that I don't mean to. It's just that I'm a complete rookie and need a lot of coaching." She could tell from the tone of his voice and the sincerity in his eyes, along with his body language that he was being completely truthful. Being completely her Chuck.

"I promise I'll tell you right away, Chuck," she'd promised smiling.

"And please don't tell Ellie when I'm an idiot," he'd pleaded. "She can still do some damage when she socks me a good one."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't," Sarah assured him. He'd grinned. "I'll sock you myself, if I have to," she'd smiled with her tongue between her teeth. Chuck's grin had turned into a frown, causing her to giggle. Then it was her turn to confess something. "I had an interesting conversation with Carina, while you were talking to your parents."

"What about?" he'd wondered.

Sarah had panicked a little, just then, trying to figure out how to talk to Chuck about her conversation with her red-haired roommate. She'd licked her lips and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear to buy herself some time. In the end, she'd decided to go with the safer of the two topics.

"We talked about what you've told me after we hug each time," Sarah had reported. Chuck had looked at her expectantly. "When you say that you're only thinking of me after each hug, what do you mean? What's going on in your head? With that life movie you told me about the other day? What is it doing when we hug?" He'd looked surprised at her questions. Not worried or concerned, just surprised. Like he'd not expected her to ask him questions like that. She'd watched him thinking it over, resisting the urge to hug him that very minute.

"My … uh … movie … is … sort of … overwhelmed, I guess. That's the best way to describe it," he'd spoken haltingly as he'd tried to form his experience into words.

"What do you mean? I'm not sure I understand," she'd admitted.

"What I mean is, my mind is focused on the present and on you. The rest is there, but it's like it's dimmed and the sound is muted, if that makes sense," Chuck had shrugged, not certain if he'd explained it sufficiently. Sarah had surprised them both when she pulled him into an impromptu hug.

"That's wonderful, Chuck. Very sweet. Truly. I don't know what else to say," she'd beamed when she'd released him. There had been something else she had meant to ask him about what he'd told her, but her plans were derailed by Chuck's next statement.

"I talked to my parents about that, too. That movie in my head and how being around you impacts it. Weird, that we would be having the same conversations at around the same time," he'd said, before getting quiet. After a pause, he'd spoken again, but more tentatively. "I also talked to my parents about sex. Well, actually my mother talked to me about sex," he'd twisted his lips to the side and frowned sheepishly. Sarah had blushed.

"I also have a confession to make," she had admitted. "Carina talked to me about sex, too." Her blush had deepened.

"Carina? That sounds like that would be an interesting conversation. Was she serious or did she just try and tease you?" Chuck had asked.

"Oh, she was serious," Sarah had confirmed. "Well, to be honest, she was as serious as I think it's possible for Carina to be." Chuck had given her a sympathetic smile. It had given her courage to continue on. Sarah had told Chuck what Carina had told her what the redhead thought he was concerned about with sex and orgasms. She'd blushed the whole time, but he'd listened seriously and only nodded his head at certain points she'd made. Then he'd smiled and shaken his head.

"That's almost the exact stuff my mom told me," he'd said. "Down to the same words and conclusions." Sarah had given him a look.

"Well? Are your mom and Carina right? Is that stuff what you're worried about?" She'd asked softly and carefully. "Is that what was behind all of the experiment stuff you told me the other night?"

"Yeah, it is, Sarah. All of it," Chuck had admitted. "I really don't know what will happen when I eventually have sex," he'd shrugged. She'd sighed in relief, like a weight had been lifted.

"Chuck, look at me," she'd asked and he'd fixed her with his serious brown eyes. "We. You and me. We are brand new. Just a few days old. You're not ready for sex, are you?" He'd shaken his head 'no'. "I know I'm not ready for sex, yet, either." He'd nodded his understanding. "Let's agree to put off sex for now and spend our time together getting to know each other better and helping you learn all of the other stuff we've talked about. We're both about to get really busy with the end of this quarter and then for the rest of the year. There's not going to be a lot of time for us to be together in all of that anyway. Not as much as I would like, anyway." She'd not said that she wouldn't forget about sex entirely nor that she wanted to push his timetable on the other stuff. She could hardly wait to kiss him, after all. A lot.

"I think you're absolutely right and I agree with everything you said. Also, as much as we might want to spend time together, our other commitments will make that a challenge," Chuck had smiled before getting a mischievous glint in his eye. "Let's also agree to not allow my mom and Carina to meet for a long, long time." They'd laughed at that until there were tears running down their faces.

As amazing as their walk on Wednesday had been, their walk last night had been beyond wonderful. It hadn't started out as anything special, besides the two of them spending time walking and talking. And hugging, of course. But the conversation was easy and relaxed. Nothing really important. They'd talked about Chuck's tests he'd taken that day and Sarah's late quarter school work. His baseball and her Songbirds practices. Quiet, relaxed, casual, and friendly. Chuck had been opening up more. Telling her more things about his life. Nothing big. Just small things. Family dinners. Adventures with Morgan. Small, intimate details about his life in Burbank. Filling in the blank spaces in the story of his life. Nothing yet about Boston or England, but she knew those stories would come along eventually, in their own good time. Sarah had done the same. But nothing about her dad or Jack, yet. Those stories would come out, as well, sooner or later. It was after they'd been sitting on their bench for a while, just enjoying being together, when Chuck changed everything. Again.

"Sarah, I was wondering something," he'd begun, not giving her a hint of what he'd planned on saying to her. Later, she'd realized that he was still pretty good at keeping a secret.

"What were you wondering, Chuck," she'd teased, popping the 'k'.

"Well, I was wondering if I could take you someplace special to me. Very special," he'd asked hopefully.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Chuck?" Sarah had had a hard time containing her excitement. She hadn't expected this to happen right then. With no warning.

Chuck had sat thinking for a moment before giving her a shy smile, "I guess I am. Yeah, I'm asking you out on a date for tomorrow night." He grew pensive. "Is it OK for lab partners to go out on a date together?" Sarah wanted to shout her happiness to the heavens, but kept herself under control as best she could.

"Oh, I think it's perfectly fine for lab partners to go out on a date together," she'd been bouncing where she was sitting. "Where is it you want to go?"

"You didn't say whether or not you would go with me?" Chuck had reminded her carefully.

"Yes, of course, I'll go out with you, Chuck. Where are we going?" she'd smiled, not bothering to hide the eagerness that shone in her eyes. His answer had surprised her.

"It's a surprise, but I can tell you that I've never taken anyone there before. Not Morgan and not Ellie. I've only gone there on my own. Alone. You'll be the first person I've taken with me," he'd informed her. She'd been so pleased and proud to learn that they were going to share something together that he'd never shared with anyone else that she didn't know what to do. Maybe this would be the first of many firsts for them.

"That sounds wonderful, Chuck. Thank you. I can't wait to see what the surprise is," she'd said. The smile on her face was so huge that she had some slightly sore cheek muscles at the end of the night. She'd been so happy that the rest of the walk, besides their goodnight hug, was a complete blur.

Sarah's giggling at the memory of that walk was interrupted by a deep, gravelly voice.

"Hello, young lady. What can I do for you?" Sarah stopped giggling and stared in surprise at the very large and very muscular man standing in front of her, a brilliant smile covering his face below twinkling eyes. "Might you be the inestimable Sarah Walker that I've heard so much about?" Hearing her name spoken by someone she'd never seen before broke Sarah out of her shock. Sort of.

"I … um … Yeah. Who are you and why are you asking me who I might be?" she gulped, preparing to defend herself. In that instant, Chuck was at her side, laying a comforting hand on her near shoulder.

"Sarah, this is Mr. Michael Colt. Don't mind him. He just loves to act all imposing to new visitors to his and his wife's restaurant. Mr. Colt is the only restaurateur that I know of who tries to scare away business," Chuck smiled reassuringly at her, while shaking his head at the larger man. Mr. Colt grinned. "Mr. Colt, this is my friend, Sarah Walker." Mr. Colt stuck out his huge right hand.

"We're lab partners," Sarah winked, taking the proffered hand and shaking it.

"Lab partners, huh? Chuck didn't tell us that," Mr. Colt chuckled. Sarah turned and fixed Chuck with a look.

"I'll tell you everything. I promise," he said with a tight-lipped smile and raised eyebrows.

"Hoo boy! In trouble already and the date hasn't even started yet," the large man teased.

"You're not helping, Mr. Colt," Chuck grumped. "Can we please go inside or do I have to tattle to Miss Maisie about how you're upsetting the customers. Again." He grinned. Mr. Colt laughed. At least Sarah thought it was laughter. She looked over at Chuck and he was beginning to laugh, as well. Seeing her look, he spoke again. "She thinks we're both a little crazy." The older man roared with laughter and led them through the open door.

Chuck's normal greeting ritual was cut short as soon as the other people in the restaurant got a good look at Sarah. She didn't see any of the usual looks that she was used to seeing when entering a restaurant or bar. What she saw was some curiosity, but mostly approval. Chuck was smiling and waving to people that he evidently knew. They were waving back, smiling. He was definitely well known here. A regular.

"This here's Miss Sarah Walker and it's her first visit with us. She and Chuck are here tonight to enjoy our good food and our good music. So, behave yourselves," Mr. Colt admonished everyone to sound of chuckles around the room. "And give her nice Miss Maisie's welcome!"

"Welcome, Miss Sarah!" "Hello, Miss Sarah!" "Nice to meet you, Miss Sarah!" Filled the restaurant. When some people called out, "Way to go, Chuck!", the room erupted in good-natured laughter. Chuck blushed at the attention, but his smile grew bigger. Looking at the happiness on his face brought a smile to her own. They hadn't even been seated yet and she liked the place already.

As they followed Mr. Colt toward the back of the room, the quartet on stage started playing. Sarah instantly knew where Chuck had gotten the idea for the last CD that he'd given her for her birthday. She wasn't familiar with the song the group was playing, but she recognized the upbeat tempo and good humor evident in the music. Chuck was right. She'd loved her CD. It was good music to listen to when having fun. And it looked like Miss Maisie's was just the place for it. When she turned her attention back to Chuck, she found that they had just reached an empty booth.

"Here y'all go, Chuck. Your usual table. We reserved it, just like you asked," Mr. Colt announced while he put menus down on the near table edge. "Why don't y'all get settled and look over the menu." He turned toward Sarah. "Chuck doesn't really need the menu. Got it all memorized," he smiled, tapping his temple, "but I thought that y'all might like to take a look, Miss Sarah." He winked. "In the meantime, I'll go fetch Miss Maisie. She's dying to meet you," the older man chuckled as he walked off in search of his wife. Chuck turned to Sarah, seeing the questions in her eyes.

"I'll explain everything, just like I promised. But first, Mr. Colt and Miss Maisie will probably want to sit down and chat with us when they get back, so do you want to sit opposite me or next to me? They'll sit and visit, either way," he shrugged. Sarah had a plan for tonight and sitting next to him made it easier.

"Let's sit side by side. With all the music and noise, it'll be easier to hear each other," she said. He nodded his agreement and offered her the choice of which side they'd occupy. She chose the side where they were facing the band, so they could enjoy the music better. When she slid into the booth, he followed suit, before handing her one of the menus.

"Have you had Cajun food before?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've had it a few times, but I'm not sure how authentic it was," Sarah admitted.

"Well, this place is pretty authentic. Mr. Colt and Miss Maisie, along with all of the kitchen staff, are from in and around New Orleans," Chuck informed her. "Everything on the menu is great. Some of it is mild and some of it is spicy, but you can tell them how much spice you like. Look over the menu and if you have any questions, I'll try and help. Or you can just talk to Miss Maisie when she comes over, if you prefer to do that," he offered.

Sarah appreciated that he was willing to help, but would let her make her own decisions. He wasn't trying to show off his knowledge for her. Already this date was different from her dates in the past. Her few dates in high school and the ones she'd had here at Stanford had been the typical kind. Boys showing off and trying to be macho coupled with faking interest and concern for her, what she felt, and what she had to say, just so they could move up one more base aiming to 'slide in at home'. So obvious and so tedious. Her Chuck was anything but typical and the time she spent with him was many things, but it was never tedious. Smiling to herself, she looked over the menu. After a couple of minutes, she turned to Chuck and smiled.

"What do you like from the menu?" she asked, curious to see if he would come out and tell her or would he shy away from answering.

"The short answer is all of it," Chuck laughed. OK, that was a non-answer.

"You're no help," Sarah pretended to pout, but started giggling. "OK, then, what're your favorites? And no waffling. You gotta give me an answer," she said sternly, wagging a finger at him. He gave her a huge stage sigh, before grinning at her.

"If I must, I must. Woe is me," Chuck gave another faux sigh while holding the back of one hand against his forehead like a fainting southern belle from Gone with the Wind. Sarah lightly back-handed his arm.

"Quit, fooling around, Scarlett. I asked you a question," she scolded smiling.

"Well! Aah do declare! Where are mah manners?" he said in a very exaggerated southern accent.

Sarah groaned, "Boo! That's awful. Foghorn Leghorn has a better accent than you." Chuck gave her a huge pout and she laughed.

"Fiddle-dee-dee, aah say! What do y'all know anyway? Y'all from California," he stuck his tongue out at her, then grinned. Sarah grinned so hard back at him; she knew her cheeks would be aching soon. She was completely charmed. Was this what Chuck acted like without all of his other cares and worries? Is this the man she could look forward to seeing now that his life was out in the open? Spending time with? As much time as possible? It was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. It warmed her all over. And she was greedy for more of it. But first, she needed some information about Cajun food and, so, fixed him with a look.

"C'mon, Chuck. Tell me what your favorites are," she begged. "If you don't, I might have to order everything on the menu. Then I'd get fat. You don't want me to get fat do you, Chuck? You wouldn't like me if I was a butterball," she teased, popping the 'k' in his name.

Chuck caught her blue eyes with his warm brown ones and gave Sarah her special soft smile. "Your eyes won't change, Sarah. No matter what. So, you'll still be you. Your soul will still be shining out from your beautiful eyes. And I'll always be here for you. Don't worry."

Sarah's mouth hung open. How did he do it? Out of nowhere he makes a statement like that, catching her completely off guard. Teasing and goofing around one minute. Having fun. And then, boom! There was no guile in him, at all. He wasn't teasing or playing a game. This was one hundred percent pure Chuck Bartowski. Did he understand what he'd just said? Fully understand it? Sarah knew she was falling harder and harder. What comes after falling head over heels in love? Was it falling head over heels in love squared or falling ass over tea cups in love or leaping tall buildings in a single bound in love? She sure felt like she could leap tall buildings right that minute. What she really wanted to do was leap on Chuck, but this was not the time or place for either of them. Instead, Sarah twisted in place and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, Chuck. That was sweet of you to say that," she said into his chest. "But I still want your ideas for dinner, because I don't want to get fat," Sarah laughed to lighten the mood. "Now, spill, mascot. Tell me what you know." Chuck chuckled and she could feel it on her cheek where it rested against his shoulder.

"Sure. Well, I usually get their gumbo, it's Cajun, so it's made with chicken and sausage instead of seafood like Creole gumbo. And I like their crawfish étouffée. I get it pretty spicy. Usually, I also get an order of their boudin balls that come with remoulade to dip them in, but I'm still a growing boy," he grinned cheekily and Sarah snorted a one note laugh. "Really, anything they make is wonderful, but if you're not sure and want to try a number of things, there is always the Cajun Sampler." He pointed to it on the menu. "It's three cups of your choice from the list of gumbo, red beans & rice, Louisiana shrimp & grits, jambalaya, shrimp Creole, or étouffée, either crawfish or shrimp. It's listed as an appetizer, but it could serve as dinner."

"That sounds yummy," Sarah admitted. "If you were going to order it, which choices would you make?" She looked through her lashes over at him and smiled.

"If it were me, the first thing I would do is order a cup of the gumbo as an appetizer, separately. Then, for the Sampler, I'd get the crawfish étouffée, definitely. Next, I'd probably take the shrimp and grits. Finally, I'd get the red beans and rice. It has andouille sausage mixed in there, too," Chuck told her. "If you think that all of that is too heavy, you can get one of the entrees. They come in either full or half portions. Their signature dishes are all good. The Bayou Cake is like a crab cake, but with shrimp and crawfish together instead of crab. The Ooh La La is either shrimp, oysters, crawfish or chicken flash fried and tossed with Tasso ham, spinach and roasted garlic in Maisie's Cajun cream sauce. Served over pasta or French bread. You can even combine all of the seafood together in the dish for just a small surcharge. Less than two dollars." He shrugged. "Whatever you want, it's all good."

"I'll just have to decide on something and save the other choices for other visits then, won't I?" Sarah asked, smiling hopefully.

"Yes, you will. He comes here once a week or more, so that shouldn't be a problem," said the pretty dark-skinned older woman dressed in a chef's uniform who approached their booth, followed by Mr. Colt. This was obviously the titular Miss Maisie. They both wore huge welcoming smiles. Arriving next to the booth, she continued, "Well? Get yourselves up here, so I can give y'all a hug or I'll have Michael haul y'all on outta here," Miss Maisie grinned, letting Sarah know she was just playing. Chuck scrambled up, anyway. Followed by Sarah.

"What's with everyone tonight trying to scare away or throw away business?" Chuck groused, grinning as he pulled Miss Maisie into a deep hug. The older woman grinned back at him, before shoving him out of the way.

"Git out da way, you," she commanded Chuck. "And let me meet dis here beauty." Maisie said, pulling Sarah into a deep hug of her own. It was warm, comforting, and accepting. Sarah knew that if there was a test, she'd just passed it with flying colors. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Miss Sarah," the Chef gushed as she released the younger woman. Chuck didn't say a word, but his eyebrows rose with his widening eyes. He looked from Miss Maisie to Mr. Colt and back again.

"Don't mind her, Chuck," Mr. Colt joked. "She's been pushing me out da way since the day after we got married." He wore a toothy grin.

Miss Maisie turned and faux glared at her husband. "Now, Michael Colt, don't you be telling lies to these young people." Mr. Colt just grinned, like he knew what was coming. "I've been pushing y'all out da way since the day I met you," she chuckled before joining her husband in a good laugh. Chuck and Sarah just looked at each other and shrugged. "Now, y'all just sit. We'll take your order and then come back and visit a spell." Chuck followed Sarah back into their booth. Mr. Colt looked at Sarah. "Now, Miss Sarah, what'll y'all have tonight?"

"I think I follow Chuck's suggestion and have a cup of gumbo to start and the Cajun Sampler for dinner. My three choices are the crawfish étouffée, the shrimp and grits, and the red beans and rice," she said, glancing over at Chuck, who smiled and nodded.

"And to drink?" Mr. Colt prompted. Sarah looked over at Chuck questioningly.

"Trust me?" he asked. She nodded.

"Sweet tea for both of us. And I'll have my usual gumbo, boudin balls, and a full portion of crawfish étouffée with 2X heat," Chuck smiled at their older couple's knowing smirks.

"Not having 3X tonight, Chuck?" Miss Maisie teased, raising an eyebrow. Sarah just stared at him wondering how hot 3X was.

"Not tonight. I'm going to offer a bite to Sarah, so she can see what the 2X level is like. Get an idea of the heat levels y'all can put into the dishes."

"What about salads?" the older woman reminded them. At Sarah's request, she ran through the dressing choices and they added their salads to their order.

"OK, no problem. We'll get dis order in and come back with your teas and gumbos. Then we all can visit," Maisie smiled. She and her husband hurried off.

Chuck sensed Sarah's questioning gaze. "OK, full confession," he said. Sarah smiled gently and touched his arm. Snap. "I've been talking about you and the other Songbirds since I met you. Mr. Colt and Miss Maisie have been friends of mine since the first week I was up here back in September. They've known everything since the beginning. Even before Ellie and I started to work things out between us and I was in a negative spot with my parents. Well, my mom really. That's all getting better now, but the Colts are family now, too. Not blood, but family just the same." She waited for Chuck to continue and he did. "I drove over here earlier in the week and told them the story of what happened on Monday," he added. Sarah's eyes widened. "Plus, I got their help in setting up this meal for us." She beamed at the fact that he'd put some effort into their first date. "They keep everything confidential and I trust them completely."

"I understand, Chuck," Sarah said. "So, they knew I was coming." Chuck nodded. "That explains Mr. Colt's greeting outside," she smiled. Chuck nodded again.

"One correction," he raised an index finger. "They knew that I hoped you'd be coming, but at that point I hadn't asked you yet and you hadn't said yes or no," he shrugged. "Luckily, you said yes." He smiled and she smiled back. Before she could say anything else, the Colts returned with their teas and gumbos. They served the young couple and slid onto the bench at the other side of the booth. The Colts visited with them while they ate their gumbo. Michael left, temporarily, to take away the empty cups and bring back their salads, along with Chuck's boudin balls, which he shared with the table. When they'd finished their salads and final appetizer, the Colts cleared away the plates and left them alone to talk while they went to check on their entrees.

"Chuck, you were right. That gumbo was amazing. I'd never had Cajun gumbo before. Only the seafood version. Miss Maisie's gumbo was delicious. So was the salad and your boudin. I loved that remoulade, too. Now I can't wait for my dinner," Sarah was having a great time, smiling and giving his arm a squeeze to emphasize her comments. Their entrees must have been ready, since Mr. and Mrs. Colt were back already and placing them on the table. After wishing them bon appetit, they left them alone, again, to enjoy their meal.

Sarah loved every bite of each of her sample dishes. If she'd been asked to rank them in order of her preference, she wouldn't have been able to do it. She even liked the bite of Chuck's 2X étouffée. It definitely was hotter than her sampler version, but not so much that she couldn't taste and enjoy the flavors. They ate, talked, and laughed throughout their meal. She'd taken the time to scan the room and take in all of the ambiance of the place. It looked like a rustic southern shack on the surface, but she could tell that it was all a carefully crafted façade to put people in the mood for the experience that the owners hoped they'd have in their restaurant. Sarah couldn't wait to come back and try some of the other dishes she'd discussed with Chuck. If the aromas coming from the passing serving trays were any indication, they would all be as fantastic as her meal had been. She'd hugged him numerous times during the evening, getting his assurance that everything was fine after every one. It was time, but Sarah needed to go to the restroom to use the facilities and gather her courage for what she had planned. Unexpectedly, Chuck interrupted her before she could ask to be excused.

"Do you have any room for dessert?" he wondered. Sarah just gaped at him?

"Are you kidding Chuck?" she laughed incredulously. "After all I ate, I'll have to run around Lake Lagunita four times, instead of my usual one, each day for a week to work it all off." Chuck smiled.

"I thought that you might say that, so how about this? There are two desserts that I really want you to at least taste." Sarah gave him a dubious look. "I'll order them both to go, but ask them for two spoons so we can each taste them. Then you can take the rest back to the dorm to share with the other CATS. How does that sound?" Sarah thought it sounded like Chuck being Chuck and thinking of others. Her roommates to be exact. How did I get so lucky to meet this guy?

"That sounds very thoughtful of you, Chuck. Why don't you order that while I visit the ladies room?" Sarah said. Chuck nodded as he got up to allow her to exit their booth. He told her where the restrooms were located and off she went. Before she could reach her destination, Miss Maisie stepped in front of her and pulled her into another deep hug.

"Bless you, Sarah. Bless you, bless you, bless you," the older woman pulled back and looked her in the eye while holding on to her biceps. "You're a Godsend to that young man. The change in him since he walked in here originally back in September to when he first mentioned having met you to right now is nothing short of amazing. Like a man waking up after a long sleep. He's still got some wakin' up to do, but he'll get there, with your help. He cares about you more than he understands right now and I can tell that you care about him." Miss Maisie pulled out a business card. "Here's my card. Call me or Michael any time you need to talk. He's probably a handful, but you're a good one, Miss Sarah, and you'll be able to deal with him. Call me anytime it gets to be too much." She hugged Sarah again. "We love that boy like he was one of our own. And we love you because you love him," the older woman snorted and waved off Sarah's attempt at denying her statement. "Don't bother," Maisie grinned, teary eyed. "Just go have fun. I better git before I start in to blubbering." Sarah's own eyes were glassy when she continued on her way.

By the time Sarah got back to their booth, the two desserts were sitting boxed up next to a small insulated container of vanilla ice cream. On a plate were two small samples of the desserts, bread pudding and the fruit cobbler de jour with a bit of vanilla ice cream on top. Chuck smiled at her and got up to allow her to resume her seat.

"Since it's November and apples are in season, the fruit cobbler is apple," he informed her. "Here take a spoon and try a taste of each one." Sarah did as he asked. Each dessert was delicious and she couldn't help moaning a bit with each bite. One of the couples, from the next booth over, who'd greeted Chuck when he and Sarah had arrived were passing by on their way out of the restaurant.

"What dessert are you having Miss Sarah try, Chuck?" the man smiled.

"Both the bread pudding and the fruit cobbler," Chuck replied.

"Both?" the man's female companion asked. Chuck nodded. "Wow, that's hard core for her first visit, Chuck. You don't play." Chuck gave her a quizzical look.

"Not about Miss Maisie's food, I don't," he said. The couple chuckled and shook their heads as they passed beyond Chuck and Sarah's booth and left the restaurant.

"Chuck, they were both wonderful," Sarah said while Chuck was trying his two bites. "Thank you for getting them. The girls will love them. And they'll love you for thinking of them."

Now was the time. As soon as Chuck finished wiping his mouth after eating his share of their two samples, Sarah reached over and took his hand in hers, giving it a slight squeeze. Chuck froze and stared wide-eyed at their joined hands. He looked at her and then back at their hands. She could tell he was nervous, but he didn't let go of her hand. When she spoke, he focused his attention back on her.

"Everything OK, Chuck? No headache coming on?" Sarah asked gently. He nodded, then shook his head numbly.

"Everything f—fine, Sarah. No headache. Nothing," he admitted. His voice mirrored the slowly growing confidence on his face. "I'm fine. Fine." He looked down at their hands before raising his head and looking into her eyes. "Sarah! I'm fine." His voice caught a little as he realized the implications of Sarah's bold move. "I'm OK. No issues. At all." With that the tension she'd felt in his hand relaxed and he gave her a full nose-wrinkling, eye-crinkling Bartowski smile. His grip on her hand gently tightened and he signaled for the check.

When the Colts both arrived with the check, Chuck pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. "It's all yours. This for our wonderful meal and for everything else. We had a great time. Thank you." Sarah beamed and nodded her agreement. When they stood up, still holding hands, Michael and Maisie's smiles grew even bigger and their eyes held unshed tears. Sarah's own eyes teared up as her emotions threatened to get the better of her. The only one not tearing up was Chuck because he was still lost in the wonder and awe of holding Sarah Walker's hand. When the Colts noticed his expression, they both chuckled while Sarah softly giggled. The two couples walked toward the door, while Chuck nodded to people who recognized them and called out. Just before they reached the door, he pulled out his phone and called Mr. Dixon.

"I'm right around the corner. I'll be there in two seconds," the taxi driver informed him before hanging up. Chuck put his phone away and turned to his friends.

"Thank you, again, for an amazing night. I couldn't have asked for anything more. I'll never forget it."

"Of course, you won't," Sarah teased, tapping him on the temple. All four of them laughed. "But I won't forget this night either."

"We're glad you enjoyed it," Miss Maisie smiled. "And we're very, very glad to have finally met you, Sarah." They all exchanged hugs.

"Since you're hanging out with Chuck, we know that y'all will be back sooner rather than later," Mr. Colt chuckled.

"I'm nothing if not predictable," Chuck shrugged which caused another round of laughter. Mr. Dixon was there now, so they climbed in his taxi with a final farewell.

Chuck carefully put their dessert bag on the taxi floor between his feet to keep it stable. When he sat back, Sarah scooted over until their legs were touching. She grabbed his left hand and put it around her shoulders, silently asking Chuck if anything was going wrong in his head. Once he shook his head no, Sarah reached across his lap and threaded her right hand in his, pulling it over, so their joined hands rested at the juncture where their legs pressed against each other. Finally, she lifted her left hand to hold on to his where it sat warmly on her shoulder. She leaned into him and that's how they spent the drive back to the dorm. It took Chuck a little while to relax and when he did, Sarah sighed and smiled up at him. He was busy processing what was taking place. Ron noticed them in the rearview mirror and left them to themselves.

Sarah felt wonderful. It had been an amazing night. Easily the best date that she had ever been on. She loved Miss Maisie's and the Colts. The food, the music, the atmosphere. Everything. It was all magical. And it was all because of the man sitting beside her. Chuck wasn't a boy; he was a man. He just didn't realize it for himself, yet. But he would. Miss Maisie was right; Chuck was waking up. He was her friend and her lab partner. Now, she needed to help him recognize that he was much more to her than her lab partner. For that to happen, he would have to decide that she was more than a lab partner to him. Sarah wasn't sure how to do that, but she would give it considerable thought. She'd figure it out. After all, there were plenty of people she could ask for advice, if she needed it. With that thought, she snuggled deeper into Chuck's side. This time, when she smiled up at him, she saw him smiling down at her with that special smile that he reserved just for her. That was definitely another step in the right direction.

Before they knew it, they were back at Roble Hall. And Chuck surprised her again when the car came to a halt.

"I could have ridden around in this car with you for a whole lot longer," he said softly.

"Me, too," she agreed.

Chuck opened the door, grabbed the dessert bag, got out, and helped Sarah exit the car. She didn't need his help, but it felt nice to have a guy be a little bit chivalrous toward her. They walked around the car, hand-in-hand, until they reached the driver's side window. Chuck had to let go of Sarah's hand and give her the bag, to pull out his wallet and open it, but before he could give the money to Mr. Dixon, the older man held up his hand.

"This is the last time I can drive you to Miss Maisie's, Chuck," Ron smiled. "You've got a special girl there and she deserves to have you take her places yourself." Chuck started to protest, but Ron knew what he was concerned about. "Don't worry about me. There's plenty of people in Palo Alto that need a taxi. I'll be fine," he winked at Sarah as she pretended not to hear the conversation. He took the money Chuck was offering and stuck his hand back out of the window for Chuck to shake. As they shook hands, Ron spoke again, "Take good care of that girl."

"I will, sir," Chuck promised, nodding. "She's my lab partner. I won't let anything happen to her, if I can help it." Ron snorted, but he knew the score.

Ron raised his voice a little and looked at them both. "Take good care of each other." Chuck and Sarah both nodded. "Good-bye, Chuck," he waved.

"Good-bye, Mr. Dixon," Chuck said as the taxi drove off. Chuck turned back to Sarah and she took his hand again. He looked down at their hands and looked at her and smiled. Then they walked into their dorm.

When they reached Sarah's suite, she put the dessert bag down and pulled Chuck into a hug. They held each other for a while. Each feeling the others heart beating. Pulling back, Sarah took his hand and laced their fingers together.

"Thank you for an amazing night, Chuck. I had the best time that I've ever had on a date," she smiled.

"I'm glad you liked it, Sarah. Does that mean that you would like to go back to Miss Maisie's some time again?"

"I'd love to go to Miss Maisie's with you again, Chuck. And other places, too," Sarah admitted with a smile.

"That's great! I had a wonderful time, too. Thanks for going with me."

"Anytime, Chuck. Always."

He looked at their hands and grew serious. "We really did a lot of experimenting tonight, too." He cocked his head and looked at her.

"Yes, we did. Lots of scientific breakthroughs," she smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when he smiled, too. "Any issues, Chuck? Any headaches?" He shook his head no. "What are you thinking about now? Before at the restaurant and then in the car when we were holding hands and you had your arm around me?"

"Only you, Sarah. I was … I am only thinking of you," Chuck admitted.

"Chuck, that's wonderful. That's the kind of thing we lab partners like to hear," she grinned cheekily. He nodded and smiled with a soft chuckle. Then he pointed at the dessert bag.

"You better get in your room and give the girls their treat or put it in the fridge or that ice cream will melt entirely," he teased.

"You're right, I do need to go," Sarah said. Letting go of his hand, she stepped in for another hug. When they parted this time, she took his hand again. Then she rose up on the balls of her feet and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for everything," she purred. Stepping back, Sarah let go of his hand and reached down for the dessert bag. When she opened the door to her suite, she turned back, smiled, and waved. "Good night, Chuck." Then she stepped into her room. Chuck still hadn't moved. Shaking off his stupor, he spoke.

"Thank you, too, Sarah. You have a good night," he waved. As the door closed, he turned and walked down the hall. His hand brushed his cheek where she'd kissed him. He could still feel the tingle of her lips.

He hadn't gone too far when he heard the squeals coming from the CATS' suite. They must really be excited to be getting those desserts, he thought to himself.

A/N2: Chapter title comes from the song by Amel Larrieux. The title and lyrics both are fitting, except the part about his temper. The title definitely applies to Sarah trying to choose her dinner at Miss Maisie's.

A/N3: The Cajun food described in this chapter comes from a real restaurant that I go to every chance I get, which isn't often enough. If anyone is interested in finding out the name and location of the real restaurant, drop me a PM and I'll be happy to tell you.

A/N4: WillieGarvin has work, family, and all kinds of real life. He writes a fantastic story that is never going to end (we all hope). On top of that, he helps other writers polish their own stories. Who knew that juggling was part of the law school curriculum?

A/N5: Thank you for reading. Please drop me a PM or leave a review. Let me know what you think. For those of you who have left reviews or PMs previously, thank you. I appreciate each and every one of them and will respond to them all.

A/N6: If you enjoy Chuck fan fiction here on the fanfic site, go over to Facebook and join the Chuck Fanfiction group that's there. You'll find nice folks who share your interest in our favorite spy couple. You are not alone.