Disclaimer: Looked in my stocking. The rights to Chuck weren't in it. Next year maybe Santa will listen. Until then, I don't own Chuck.

Casa Bartowski 2009

Sarah woke up with her head resting on Chuck's chest. He was running his fingers over her face. "Santa came," he told her softly.

"Santa?" she asked sleepily. "My stocking?"

Chuck nodded.

Sarah popped up and scrambled for her robe. She realized that Chuck was laughing at her. "Hurry up, I want to see what Santa brought," she told him.

Things had changed a lot in the last year. She and Chuck had become resigned to the fact that they would be working together for a long time. The sexual tension had largely abated, but Sarah had accepted that she loved Chuck. She no longer tried to hide that fact, they just dealt with it. Chuck seemed happier being confident that she loved him and she still nearly melted every time he told her. Their relationship was now more about boundaries than hiding the truth.

They didn't have sex, but they frequently spent the night together. Sarah didn't wear sexy lingerie and they kept their kisses calm a chaste. Urgent needy kisses left both of them uncomfortable. It was definitely the most rewarding relationship Sarah had ever been in. It was also the weirdest. Casey had come to the realization that they made a better team if Chuck and Sarah were open with each other and was satisfied, that they knew where to stop. That wasn't to say that he loved the situation, but was much happier that when Sarah told Chuck to run, he ran. If she told him to stay in the car, he stayed in the car. She'd had to promise him that she would take care of herself. But the deal they'd made was, if he did what she said, she promised she would come back. It wasn't easy on him, but it allowed them to work together. Both of them were happier to be able to accept how they felt and still do the important work the Intersect required.

They'd made another attempt at replacing Chuck. While it didn't explode, it also wasn't nearly as effective as CIA had hoped. Chuck, as it turned out, was much better at assimilating the information of the Intersect than a computer processor. However to Sarah's relief Chuck had refused any further updates to the Intersect info.

General Beckman was not pleased, but Chuck didn't want to be the Intersect forever. Casey, Sarah and Chuck had dealt several harsh blows to Fulcrum this year and Bryce Larkin had managed to assassinate the person believed to be the head of Fulcrum's operations. Fulcrum had been left in Chaos.

It had been an amazing year as Sarah thought about it. It led back to the previous Christmas. Chuck had proven he cared more about Sarah then the problems that lay between them. They had a long talk a few days later in which Chuck admitted he'd seen her shoot Mauser. Sarah had been angry that Chuck disobeyed her. Chuck had been disturbed by the act and the fact she lied, but he hadn't let it ruin her Christmas. When pushed on it he admitted. "Sure I was upset on Christmas, but I wasn't going to let it ruin your first real Christmas." That's when she knew. He didn't like what she'd done, but he cared more about her feelings than his own feelings. There wasn't any turning back then. They had to find a way to make their feelings work for them instead of against them and Sarah thought they'd done a really good job. A year removed from the start of that, Sarah wasn't sure what to expect, but she was excited for the future.

"Can we open it now?" she asked.

"We have to make breakfast first."

"But last year…"

"You can't expect Ellie to make Christmas breakfast every year. She does the dinner."

"But I can't cook!"

Chuck grinned at her. "I know, but you still have to help."

They made coffee cake…with chocolate chips in half. Chuck started making coffee. "Do you want to take your shower before Ellie and Devon get up? You know, prevent a repeat of last year?"

"What was wrong with last year?" Sarah asked.

Chuck rolled his eyes. "You don't remember me invading the bathroom?"

"Of course I remember. It was one of the best parts. I'd have never known how cute your but is, if Ellie and Devon hadn't made you come shower in front of me. Perhaps this year you'll get to sneak a peek at me?"

Chuck was holding a coffee cup and he suddenly froze. Sarah knew she'd pushed it too far. They'd agreed to let up on the sexual innuendo because it couldn't go anywhere and it only added to the sexual frustration. They both battled it, in their own ways. Sarah wasn't exactly sure how Chuck dealt with his. She kept a friend in her nightstand; she had assumed Chuck used the internet. But when she'd asked him about it, he told her there wasn't anybody online who could hold a candle to her, so he didn't bother. With Casey watching his every move, Sarah had no clue where Chuck got his release from. There were some questions you just didn't ask, especially when you were the source of the frustration. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Chuck nodded. She stepped over and kissed him gently on the lips. "God, I wish we could just…" she stopped talking and pressed her pelvis against him. Chuck didn't have to answer. She could feel his answer against her stomach. "I'll go get cleaned up."

***

Ellie and Devon were already up and sitting at the table when she arrived back in the kitchen. She gave each of them a kiss and a "Merry Christmas." Before she sat down next to Chuck and put her hand on his knee. Chuck slipped his arm around her and kissed her temple.

"I can't believe the wedding is only three months away," Sarah announced after a quiet few minutes.

Ellie's eyes bugged. "Neither can I, I'm never going to get everything done. You still need to get in for your final fitting."

Sarah frowned and Chuck squeezed her. This has been a point of contention between Sarah and Chuck ever since the day Ellie had asked Sarah to be a bridesmaid. Sarah insisted that for the cover or not, she couldn't be in Ellie's bridal party when Chuck and Sarah's relationship didn't have a future. Chuck had insisted that it would be an insult to Ellie to turn her down and that Sarah should do it because Sarah and Ellie's friendship wasn't a cover.

"I'll be sure to do that soon," Sarah replied. She'd been avoiding it, because she was afraid that things would change and she wouldn't make it to the wedding. Sarah lacked the will to do anything more to disappoint Ellie Bartowski.

"So any wedding bells in your future?" Ellie asked.

Sarah spit up the coffee she'd been attempting to drink and Chuck started choking on his coffee cake. "Yeah guys, it's been years. Given any thought to making your arrangement permanent?"

"I've thought about it," Chuck answered. Sarah's head whipped towards him so fast she could feel the blood rushing to one side of her face. "But Sarah and I haven't talked about it."

"Well, Bro, three more months then the pressure will be all on you guys."

Chuck smiled back at Devon. "I think we can handle it."

"Chuck and I…" Sarah started. Then she regretted opening her mouth. Explaining situation was impossible, without blowing their cover. "Well me…mostly, I'm not entirely comfortable with marriage. Chuck knows that, we're taking it really slow."

"You guys take everything slow," Devon replied shaking his head. "Sometimes you just have to dive right in there and take a chance. You know, put a little risk in there. Sure it's dangerous but the rewards are so worth it." He leaned over and kissed Ellie who wrapped her arms around his neck and prevented him from sitting back up straight again. Sarah was losing interest in her coffee cake when Chuck's arm tightened around her.

"We'll get there. I have no doubts about who I want to spend the rest of my life with." Chuck took the opportunity to kiss her on the temple again. Sarah's insides were swimming. Did Chuck really mean that? It sounded…nice, but Sarah wasn't ready to give up being an agent. It's not like they could settle down and start a family. Sarah really wasn't sure the idea of having kids and being a mom appealed to her.

"Shall we open our stockings?" Ellie asked.

"Yes!" Sarah exclaimed.

The rest of them laughed at her enthusiasm but she didn't care. She wanted to know what was in her stocking. This year she strategically waited until Chuck got settled on the couch and then practically sat in his lap. He needed to be closer this year so she could more appropriately show her appreciation.

She opened up the item on top and found a set of sensual massage oils. Sarah turned a quirked and eyebrow at Chuck. "Hey don't look at me," he replied. "I didn't put those in there." Chuck was opening his own stocking and had found something similar in his. Sarah shrugged and put them to the side. Chuck's snort brought her attention back to him though. He was holding a copy of the Kama Sutra. Sarah's felt her face flush briefly. The next item in her stocking was a Victoria's Secret gift card. "Do you think Santa is trying to send us a message?"

"It's kind of subtle, what do you suppose it means?" Sarah asked.

"You guys need more sex!" Devon called from the two person chair that he and Ellie were wedged into.

"Devon!" Ellie cried. Then she added, "It does seem like you guys could use a little more…passion." Sarah felt Chuck stiffen next to her. "But to each their own."

Sarah didn't know what to say. "We…" she started but Chuck grabbed her hand to stop her.

"We are plenty passionate we just don't like to advertise."

"You just seem bottled up, Bro," Devon chipped in. "You have to let that tension out. It's not healthy you could explode."

Chuck's face turned red and Sarah went back to her stocking. Chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate toffees, chocolate truffles, it was a plethora of her favorites. She found a tiny bottle of her perfume, new socks and there at the bottom was a box containing a small silver charm in the shape of a heart.

"I thought it only appropriate that since you had my mother's charm bracelet and that you have my heart, that you have a charm of my heart." Sarah closed her eyes and let the feelings wash over her. She felt warm, very warm.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Chuck replied easily.

They didn't say it often. It was just difficult. It was hard to manage the feelings they had with the limitations on their relationship. But she didn't ever want him to question how she felt. She didn't want to cry, but the tears came just the same. Sarah turned so that she could bury her face in Chuck and wrap her arms around him. It was times like these that she longed do be a normal woman. A woman free to express her emotions in anyway she wanted.

Chuck stayed with her on the couch as Ellie and Devon got dressed for the day. Sarah's body and its desires warred with her mind and its sense. Her mind won, her mind always won, but today as her hand rubbed Chuck's thigh through his pajama pants the battle was fierce.

She spent almost the entire day in Chuck's arms, only separating a handful of times. That night when they settled down to sleep she wrapped herself even more tightly than normal around him. "Chuck?" she questioned a few minutes after they turned of the light.

"Yeah,"

"I wish I could figure out making you feel loved the way you make me feel loved."

Chuck didn't say anything for a while. "Do you trust me?" he finally asked.

"Of course I trust you. I wouldn't' be wrapped around you like a cobra if I didn't trust you."

Chuck hesitated. "Not exactly the analogy I was hoping for in this moment, but it'll work. Do you trust me when I tell you that things will work out for us eventually?"

Sarah wanted to say yes, she really did. Instead she sniffed and attempted to press herself even closer to Chuck. "I want too."

"Well, I just have to ask you to trust me, Sarah. The rest of me will be here, when you're ready for me."