John finished his drink and headed up to bed. Tomorrow would be a busy day. Beckman had summoned him to DC to speak of a promotion and debrief him on the new venture. She'd been happy with the work he'd done with the intersect and especially with the new business they'd set up. He actually liked his new assignment and was glad to be receiving some props from his boss given the time he'd spent getting it all set up and operating. He was able to admit to himself that he actually liked working with Chuck and Sarah now. They'd grown together as a team and as friends. He would never have met Ellie if it weren't for Chuck and the intersect. It sure had been an interesting ride for all of them. His thoughts drifted to the first time Ellie had gotten a bit too close to discovering that he did more than just work at the Buy More.

----

One year ago.....

Chuck opened the door and stepped into Casey's apartment and actually jumped and had to take a step back as his jaw fell open. "Oh my god, you look hilarious! I'm speechless...I just don't know what to say...."

"Keep your voice down Bartowski! and shut the damn door. Who cares what I look like, it's just a cover for the damn job!"

Sarah laughed as she watched Chuck and Casey carry on like squabbling brothers. It really was fun to watch her very irritated partner stand there and defend himself when he looked so...so, what would you call it...European or like a familiar face she just couldn't quite place then it hit her. "I think he looks cute. Kind of like Shaggy from Scoobey Doo."

"No, no, he looks more like a european gigolo," Chuck snorted out, bursting out in spontaneous song to Blondie's "Call Me" from the American Gigolo soundtrack.

"Call me, call me on the line. Call me, call me, call me any anytime. Call me, I'll arrive. You can call me any day or night. Call me!"

"Shut it Bartowski! I do. not. look. like. a. gigolo. and I most certainly don't look like a dog in a cartoon." Casey menacingly growled glaring at his partner.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "No Casey, not the dog, the stoner-hippie guy that hung out with Scobbey Doo, Shaggy!"

Casey glared at the two of them and addressed Sarah. "So, now, after I'm stuck in this get-up, you're saying I look like a euro-trash manwhore or worse a hippie!" Casey blurted out, his voice a tad higher than normal. Sarah just looked at him with a 'well duh' look on her face while Chuck watched, eye's gleaming.

John worried to himself that maybe this getup was too much as the mere idea of him looking like a hippie made his stomach turn. He quickly stepped over to the coffee table that held his framed picture of President Regan and turned it around. No need for the big guy to see him looking like some smelly hippie.

Chuck was now laughing so hard, he'd fallen into Casey's leather recliner. Before him stood John Casey, in a disguise that only Sarah could have come up with. It was the whole package that was so hilarious. The shaggy bowl cut, the soul patch on his chin, the fashionista frames he was wearing. He actually did look the part of a trendy restaurant owner/manager but it was the hair that grabbed his attention. Major John Casey, all two hundred forty intimidating, ass-kicking pounds of him did in fact look like Shaggy on Scoobey Doo. Now Chuck was gasping for air as he watched his handler physically turn a picture of his idol around to ease his obvious discomfort.

'Great, now the nerd's got Sarah all giggly.' He felt like he was babysitting and the children were getting out of hand. "Will the both of you, for the love of God, just stay focused on the damn mission!" he boomed. "We need to get moving now." The three of them hurried out the door to the herder.

----

As she locked her front door Ellie could hear yelling and was that singing? coming from John's apartment and then voices laughing. She glanced up just in time to see Sarah, Chuck and another man she didn't recognize coming out of John's apartment. 'Hmm, she wondered to herself, who was that other man?' From behind, he resembled John, with his large shoulders and tall, muscular build. The three of them appeared momentarily startled when they saw Ellie smiling at them.

"Hi Chuck, what are you guys up to?" she innocently asked, glancing at the large man standing next to Sarah who had now turned away and was hurrying off towards the car.

Chuck seemed to stammer just a bit as he replied. "Oh, Hi Ellie, we were just taking Hans here" Chuck turned to face 'Hans' who had now walked away from them, "back to the Buy More. He's a, um, a visiting manager from Europe and we were just, a, just visiting with Casey. We're late getting back, so we've got to go, see ya Ell," he hurriedly replied as he and Sarah practically ran around the corner after Hans.

"Oh, okay,... well, Bye Sarah." Ellie called out as she watched them hurry off with Han's barely even looking at her as he led them towards the herder at the curb.

'Hm, that was odd,' she knew European people could sometimes be curt but he hadn't even looked at her, just turned and walked towards the car. She momentarily glanced back at John's closed apartment door, feeling sorry for him that he had to host that euro-snob manager in his home and wondered why he wasn't with them. 'Oh well, he must be off the rest of the night' she mused, 'I bet he's relieved.'

She was rather irritated that her thoughts, for whatever reason, had lately drifted towards her neighbor John. He was so sweet and Chuck spent so much time with him that she was relieved he had some normal friends. She'd taken notice of how polite and kind he was and how he radiated strength and authority in the way he carried himself. He was the true Alpha Dog she mused and a very nice looking and nicely built Alpha Dog.

Later that evening, after completing her shopping, she decided to stop by The Orange Orange and grab a froyo before heading home. It was late, but she was thirsty and instead of just going home alone, while Devon was out yet again, the thought of having a quick frozen treat with Sarah sounded better. She noted the lights were still on so Sarah must still be in there. As she stepped out of her car, she saw Hans walking out of the yogurt shop towards the Buy More.

"Hi Hans" she called out, waiving at him and noting that he just kept on walking. She knew he had to have heard her as there was no one else around and while she hadn't yelled, she knew her voice had carried. 'Maybe he'll hear this' she mused as she muttered just loud enough for him to hear "Jerk!" and rolled her eyes and walked into The Orange Orange greeting Sarah.

"Ellie, what a surprise! twice in one night. What are you doing here so late?"

"Devon is working tonight so I thought I'd get my Christmas shopping started early and I am thirsty but don't want coffee this late, so here I am."

Sarah mixed and poured Ellie's frozen treat into the colorful glass and casually looked down at her monitor noting that Chuck was still in the Castle so she stepped on the warning alarm, signaling him to stay down in the bowels of the Castle until she alerted him that it was clear for him to come up. Thankfully, Casey had just left minutes earlier and was still disguised in his Euro-trash Shaggy get up.

"I'm glad you stopped by. Did you get all of your shopping done?"

"Most of it. I still have to find something for Devon. He's so hard to buy for. He never likes anything I get him." She said, taking a sip from her cold drink.

"Yeah, it's hard buying the right gift for guys, I still have to find something for Chuck. I think I'll go over and talk to Casey one day when Chuck's off and see what he thinks I could get for Chuck at the Buy More. So, how's all the wedding planning coming along?"

"Honestly, I haven't had much time to do anything yet. Devon's parents are doing it all themselves. I guess I have to pick out my dress soon."

Sarah found it interesting that Ellie didn't seem like most brides. She rarely even spoke of the upcoming event or seemed that interested to be honest. She could understand that, given what Chuck had told her about Devon's parents involvement in literally everything.

"So, have you thought of any color schemes yet or gone dress shopping?"

"Well, I like the idea of black and white. It's formal and elegant and Devon's Mom finally seemed okay with letting me pick out my dress." Ellie took a long sip of her drink. "So I'm thinking maybe something off the shoulder will work nicely."

"Oh, Black and White would be gorgeous. If you want to go shopping, I know of a great boutique in Pasadena we could check out."

"That would be fun, let's set something up. I have the next two Sundays off if you want to try then?"

"Can I get back to you. I'll look up the schedule here and let you know."

"That sounds great. Well, I'm going to get going. I just figured I'd pop in for a quick visit. Oh, I just saw that Hans guy as he was leaving. What a jerk he is! I said hello to him and he completely ignored me and just kept walking. I know he heard me too. What is with that guy?"

"Oh, you're right, he was a total jerk, Chuck told him to come over and get a yougurt after he finished up at the Buy More and he didn't even pay me for it. He just took it and walked off. I'm glad he's going back to where ever he came from."

Both women laughed as they said their goodbyes. Sarah was inwardly relieved that Ellie hadn't come in a few minutes earlier and bumped into Casey in his disguise. That would have been a little too close for comfort.

Ellie drove home and thought how sweet it was of Sarah to suggest they do some dress shopping together. As she walked up to her front door, she noticed John walking back from the mailbox with some mail in his hands. She smiled and waived at him, and stepped over towards him as he approached his front door.

"Hi Ellie, what are you up to?"

"Oh, I was just doing some shopping tonight. I'm trying to get an early start on Christmas this year."

"You're smart. Get that all out of the way early. We're getting more and more people at the Buy More and once Thanksgiving is over, it'll be a zoo."

"It sounds like you're already busy with that weirdo Hans being in town and all. What a jerk he was!"

"Why, what happened?" he asked trying to show just the right amount of concern and not seem nervous.

"I saw him coming out of The Orange Orange and I said hi to him and he totally ignored me. Sarah said he had the nerve to take a yogurt from her and not even pay! I bet you're glad he's going home?"

"Yeah, he's done here. Sorry he was such an ass to you. He's european you know. They can be kind of... odd."

----

Present day:

John dozed off to sleep with a smile on his face at the thought of his wife seeing him back then in "Shaggy" mode and being so irritated with him. Sarah had even mentioned Ellie's anger with the aloof "Hans." He'd felt guilty having to rudely walk away from her without greeting her but knew she'd recognize him if she saw him up close so he'd beat a hasty retreat from her. The last thing he clearly heard her call out to him was "Jerk" and boy, did he feel like one.

He missed her so much when he travelled. Luckily, the debriefing with Beckman would only last two days and then he'd be back home with her. He was anticipating being promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel and more importantly, he wanted to get Beckman's permission for the whole "House Hunters" debacle.

When they'd married, he'd moved into Ellie's apartment and Chuck and Sarah were now living in his old apartment. While the arrangement worked fine, it was time for them to find their own home. And, as luck would have it, Morgan Grimes had heard about their impending search for a home and had set the wheel's in motion for Ellie and John's lives to literally be broadcast for all to see on nationwide television.