A/N: So years ago, my daughter was in a play, Peter Pan, and they needed someone to help fly the children on a pulley system. I was the only parent who flew another child, and not my own, Grace wasn't a flying character. It was one of the most physically demanding things I have ever been involved with. Well, you all are going to be the recipient of some of the crazy things that happened during that play over the next several chapters. Welcome to Ch 3, Learning about Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, I don't own the Buy More, and after this fic they may never let me teach again …

Chuck and Sarah were sitting in their booth at the Mexican restaurant. Well, it wasn't theirs, but every time they came in, and it had been several times the past few weeks, they had sat there. In fact, the hostess smiled as soon as she saw them and said, "you're booth is open."…so maybe it was their booth. Chuck had overheard the server tell Sarah that her boyfriend was cute as he came back from the bathroom, and she had done nothing to correct her.

Chuck had no idea what to think about their relationship. They were together all the time except when they slept…well….that wasn't true either. He had fallen asleep a couple of times on Sarah's couch watching a movie, or TV, and he had woken up with her cuddled into him. Good grief did that woman enjoy cuddling…not that he was complaining. Chuck was so confused.

They had finally decided they needed to put on a play, but one that would generate interest from the students, and interest from the paying community. If they could generate a little bit of profit, maybe, just maybe it would buy them some time with Emmett. They had gone back and forth about which play to do. It had started after they left the very restaurant they were in and had gone back to her place, that first night Sarah said they were mates.

"Sound of Music," Sarah offered.

"Nah, I just don't think the cast is big enough, and somehow I think you and I would get roped into the leads," Chuck replied.

"That would be interesting," Sarah said, grinning. "You having seven kids, me fighting my feelings for you. Us finally giving in to how we feel."

"There's a joke about a nun in there, but I'm not making it," Chuck said. Sarah snorted.

"Okay, West Side Story?" she asked.

"I like it, but would the kids today like it, or even understand it?" Chuck said, shrugging. Sarah thought for a second while Chuck was squeezing his bottom lip in thought. "Newsies?" he offered. Sarah shook her head.

"I don't know if we can get enough guys to try out this early on, and while I never mind gender swapping parts, I do want all the guys we can get right now as we try and build the program," she said.

"Smart, Mate, smart," he said, winking. She winked back at him. She got up out of her chair and walked over to him.

"I think I know," she said. "But it would take some money to get the rights, and some construction and special permits." Chuck's eyebrows raised. "And, we can offer everyone who is in the show something special when it's over." Chuck was intrigued. "Peter Pan." The look on his face said he wasn't sure. "We could offer to fly everyone who is in the show."

"I don't know how many would find that cool as teenagers," Chuck said. Sarah gave him a pout. "Oh, you want to fly." She shrugged, and grinned at him. "How do we get permission?"

"Wellll," she said, grinning. "If someone got permission and I got to fly I would be very, very grateful."

"As wonderful and interesting as that sounds, again, how do we get permission?" Chuck asked.

"Someone could use their connections," Sarah said, trying to look a little sheepish, but really failing. Chuck put his hand over his face. Chuck's mother, teacher of the year, Mary Bartowski, could get plays for a fraction of the cost as part of her reward.

"Let me get this straight, you want me to use my connections to get the plays at a discount?" Chuck asked. Sarah shrugged, grinning. "What's next, have Casey and the crew build the sets?" Sarah looked away. Chuck groaned. "Okay, let's say all of that can happen, how do we get legal permission to fly these kids?"

"You don't think Emmett doesn't have forms spelled out a certain way for similar things?" Sarah asked.

"If he does, and he'll allow it, we'll do it," Chuck said, knowing Emmitt wouldn't. Chuck should have known that Sarah had a plan. Chuck didn't know about Carina Miller, the health teacher. Sarah introduced them the next day and the plan was put into place. Chuck really didn't understand what Carina was going to do to make Emmitt, first admit he had such documents, and secondly provide them willingly for the play. When Carina came out of the bathroom dressed in the nerd herd getup, Chuck quickly understood.

"Sarah, she can't go in there dressed like that!" Chuck yelled.

"You're right, Blondie," Carina said. "Curls here is a gentleman…you should do something about that," she said winking.

"Who says I haven't?" Sarah replied. Chuck head nearly exploded. Ten minutes later, Carina had the documents, Chuck was still upset, and Sarah was beaming.

"Using your friend like that, Sarah?" Chuck asked. Carina looked at Chuck and shook her head.

"Chuck, that pervert has been staring at me since he got here," Carina said. "He never touched me, I like dressing up, and if I could do something to help you two and screw him over, I'm fine with it."

"He doesn't even know what he's done, does he?" Chuck asked. Carina grinned.

"Not. One. Clue," she said.

Chuck still wasn't worried though. He thought for sure though that he had the perfect way for this not to work, but it not be his fault, Casey and the other teachers. There was no way they would build sets…and he would have been right, if Sarah hadn't offered for her and Chuck to cover the Friday night dances as chaperons after the home football games, for anyone who helped in the play. When Chuck tried to tell her he couldn't dance as a lame excuse, Sarah told him she'd teach him how to dance.

That's how Chuck found himself in charge of helping kids fly. The Peter Pan actress (Chuck and Sarah had had a long talk with the actors about how the role was typically assigned to a female, but if a male gave a better audition they would cast a male) was set on a special two-person pully manned by Morgan and Casey, Casey handled up and down, and Morgan left to right. Casey's pulley was a 3 to 1 weight pulley, meaning for every pound of force, it lifted three pounds. The other three pulleys, were one to one, meaning it took three times more force than Casey's, and they were used to make the children dance in the air. Chuck was in charge of the female character, who happened to be the oldest and heaviest, and Bryce and Cole were in charge of the younger two male characters.

They spent the first week casting, and the second week was mainly practicing flying the students. Chuck had no idea how sore his back and arms could be. Sarah had told him after the first night she had something that would help him. Chuck showed her the small bottle of Tiger Balm that Casey had given him, and she took it away from him, saying something about it burning the hairs out of the inside of her nose. She told him to go to his house, take his shirt off, and lay on the bed. He started to question her, but the look on her face told him to be quiet. He hurt too much to say anything anyway.

He was on his bed, and he would have been asleep if he hadn't kept himself awake from the moaning and pain, when two hands touched his back. Chuck thought he had died and gone straight to heaven. Those hands, gently, but forcefully, worked all the tension out of his shoulders and back. Chuck couldn't help himself, and moaned. Sarah giggled. He was getting lost in the relief, and words came to his head, words he normally wouldn't have said, but it felt so good, he couldn't help himself.

"You keep that up, and I'm going to insist you come to bed with me every night," he said. He tensed, and Sarah slapped his back.

"Knock that off, I've worked too hard too release that tension," she said. She bent down close her lips inches from his ear. "I think it's a bit early for that anyway," she said, pushing hard on a tense spot in his shoulder. Chuck wanted to retort, but the only words that came out of his mouth were a mixture of a moan and groan. Sarah laughed. He didn't remember much after that. He woke up the next morning finding himself in bed, but in the same pants that he had on the night before. His muscles were surprisingly flexible, and not too sore. He looked around for his phone, but remembered leaving it in the other room. He had really hoped she wasn't upset with him for falling asleep on her. That's when he smelled something coming from his kitchen. He walked out and saw Sarah making breakfast. "Don't even," she said grinning, pointing a spatula at him.

"You're still here," he began. "Or left and came back, or, uh, I mean," Chuck clamped his mouth shut as she turned toward him. She was fighting laughter.

"Yes, Chuck, I had this diabolical plan of making you pass out, having my way with you, getting you back in your pants and into bed, without you knowing anything," she said, grinning.

"So you went home and came back and made me breakfast," Chuck said, blushing. "Thank you." She smiled at him.

"I figured it was the least I could do after I got you roped into flying kids," she replied.

"I think the massage covered it," Chuck replied.

"Oh, so you won't need one tonight?" Sarah asked, a cheeky smirk on her face.

"I, uh, that is, uh, I meant, the massage made up for flying yesterday, so we're even," Chuck said. Sarah looked down at the stove that had bacon and eggs on it.

"Huh," she said. "Then what shall I do with this?"

"I mean mates do make each other breakfast now and again, right?" Chuck asked. Sarah turned to him, studied him, and winked.

"Go take a shower, breakfast should be done by then," she said. Chuck scampered off before he could make things awkward again. That was Tuesday morning. Tuesday and Wednesday after school saw them flying again, and Sarah giving Chuck a massage again. Wednesday and Thursday also saw Sarah making Chuck breakfast. Chuck was wondering about this routine, when things really took a strange turn on Thursday. Sarah had a meeting that day, and didn't wear her Buy More Green shirt outfit, and decided to wear heels with her regular work clothes. She stood all during her classes, and then she stood the entire time the cast went over their lines. By the time she and Chuck got to her house Thursday night, her feet were wrecked.

"I knew better than to wear these stupid shoes," Sarah said, throwing them across the room. Chuck had just brought the pizza to the coffee table, vegetarian no olives, and gave her a look. He sat on the far side of the couch, which earned him a look from her. "What are you up to?" Chuck patted his leg. She put one foot up on his leg. He gently reached for it. "Chuck, listen, don't. I know…uhhhh. Chuuuucccckk!" Chuck's ears turned red and he stopped rubbing her feet. "Charles Irving Bartowski I swear to God if you stop now, I'll never get in your bed again!"

"What?!"

"Chuck," she growled. Chuck grabbed her foot and went back to work. She made noises that made him more than uncomfortable. "This might be better than sex," she mumbled.

"Someone's not doing it right then," Chuck said, not thinking. Her eyes snapped opened and she just stared at him. He started to let go of her foot, but the look on her face stopped that. He went back to work, and she tried to hold his eyes, but her head just fell back. After a few minutes, Chuck found the other foot in her lap.

"Switch," she muttered in between moans. He put his hands on the other foot, and the sounds began again. "Nerds and their fingers," she muttered.

"Well, I do know how to work a keyboard," he replied, grinning. She tried to give him an affronted look, but he found a spot right in the padding of her foot and she made a noise that he wondered if the neighbors could hear. "It's a good thing we're mates, or this could be very uncomfortable."

"It's completely comfortable on my end," she managed to get out. "It's not like you were some shrinking violet the past few nights when I massaged your shoulders."

"Touché," he admitted. "I guess the question is are you this loud when I rub other parts of you?" Her head shot up. She studied him as he thought about what he had said, and it dawned on him. She began to smirk. "I meant your shoulders."

"Uh huh," she said, and then her head fell back again as he found a new spot. After a few more minutes, she said she couldn't take any more. She hugged him, kissed him on the cheek, and snuggled into him, watching a movie. She fell asleep halfway in, cuddled into him. When it was over he woke her up and told her it was time to go to bed. She took his hand and tried to pull him to the bedroom.

"Sarah, you're asleep, you need to go to bed," Chuck said.

"I will, I just need my cuddle buddy," she said, and that's how Chuck found himself the next morning when he woke up. Him in his undershirt and boxers, Sarah's leg draped over his, and arm flung across his chest, wearing a tee shirt and shorts. When she opened her eyes, he was prepared for things to get awkward. "It's a shame it's not Saturday, we could sleep in." Chuck's eyes got wide. "What's wrong?"

"Tonight's Friday night, there's a dance," he groaned. She patted his chest and shook her head.

"Nope, Mate," she said grinning. "It's an away game. At three o'clock we're out of there."

"Good," Chuck said, surprised at how non-awkward things were, hoping he didn't make it that way by saying something stupid.

"Mexican tonight?" she asked.

"Sarah, I know you said we were friends, and we need each other to get through this, but do you need any private time?" he asked. "It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with you, it's just…well, you're amazing and I have to believe there are other people in your life." Sarah shook her head. "I'm sorry, that came out all wrong and I've made a mess out of things." Sarah gave him a sad smile and a quick kiss on the cheek.

"No, it's not you, it's me," she said. Chuck was confused. "See, my dad, well, he made trusting people hard. Bryce and I used date."

"Bryce Larkin in accounting?" Chuck asked. Sarah nodded. "Isn't he with Jill?" She shrugged. "I'm sorry, I'll shut up."

"No, it's fine," she said. She took a deep breath. "Dad was a con man and growing up with him, I didn't trust anyone, and when Bryce and I dated, I didn't let him in. I kept him away, and eventually…we grew apart. So I had a friend…one friend at the school."

"Mrs. Vanderbeak," Chuck said. She nodded.

"So the night after I learned you moved in next door I called her, and told her everything that happened, and you know what she did, she accused me of doing it again," Sarah said, looking down. "She accused me of not trusting anyone, of shutting myself off. She asked me what you had really done, except spilled a drink a couple of times, and she admitted you were clumsy." She looked up at him with a small smile and Chuck grinned. "She reminded me about how often I used to bug her about meeting you when she talked about you, and now I had and what was I doing, but being me, and pushing people away. I know about your dad, I know all you went through. I know what it's like to have a parent not really there." She put her hand on his chest. "I trust you more than I ever trusted Bryce, and I'm tired of being alone. I'm tired of not enjoying myself. I'm living, and Chuck, it's because of you. You make it easy, and no, there is no where else I'd rather be than with you.

"So the normal place tonight or the new one across town?" Chuck asked, grinning. She put her hand on the side of his face, cupping his cheek, smiling at him.

"Just be patient with me," she said softly. "I promise, I'm worth it."

"Whatever you need, Mate," he said, winking. "But I have to go shower, so I'm going to run home, meet you in thirty?" She nodded, pulled him in, and kissed him softly on the lips.

"This is the last weekend will have off for a while," she said. Chuck groaned. "We pull this off, think of how many kids we'll be helping."

"Sarah Walker, you're the best and have a heart of gold," Chuck said. He kissed her forehead, rolled out of bed, grabbed his pants, and headed out the door. That brought him to where he was right now, the restaurant, with his mate…and servers thought he was her boyfriend…he wasn't sure where they were, but frankly, he didn't care. Right now he was with Sarah Walker and that…that was all that mattered.

"You okay?" Sarah asked, pulling him out of his thoughts, of the past week.

"Yeah," he replied. "Long week, I'm just wondering who's massaging who tonight," he said with a smirk.

"Uh, I massaged you three times to your one," she said, grinning.

"I massaged two feet," Chuck countered.

"Still losing," Sarah said.

"Am I?" Chuck asked. The smile on Sarah's face nearly lit the entire room. "Let's go home."

A/N: Next time…the air dance…what is the air dance…I lived it, I survived it, and I think you'll laugh at it…til next time…hope you enjoyed it!