Chuck's birthday rolls around and Bryce orders him the replica of Luke Skywalker's green lightsaber.

He walks into the Buy More with it on the day, and finds Chuck standing at the Nerd Herd counter, a stack of nicely wrapped gifts next to him.

"Hey, you're cleanin' up, Birthday Boy," Bryce chirps, setting the box with his gift in it down.

"They're not for me," Chuck mutters without looking up. "I got them for other people."

"You...got other people presents," Bryce says slowly. "On your birthday. Yours."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Chuck looks up at him mildly. "I don't actually like my birthday very much if you'll remember correctly."

"I do," Bryce nods. "We spent four years in a row getting you totally wasted on this day for that reason."

Chuck grins. "Yeah, well, after the thrill of being drunk, throwing up, waking up feeling like my mouth is full of your smelly gym socks, and then throwing up again wore off, I...started doin' this. A reverse birthday, if you will."

"You're crazy," Bryce tells him.

"Well," Chuck holds out a small piece of paper. "Happy birthday to me, I got you an Amazon Prime account. Now you can watch Voyager whenever you want."

Bryce looks down at the card and frowns. "Lazella Pants? My username is Lazella Pants?"

"That's Miss Lazella Pants," Chuck grins.

Bryce narrows his eyes. "One of these days, Alice."

"Straight to the moon, I know," Chuck finishes. "And you know that's not actually funny, when you look at it in retrospect, because he's threatening to hit his- and you're walking away. Okay! See ya, Bryce!"

When Bryce comes back to the desk an hour later, the gift he left is still sitting there, unopened. He sighs.

"Dammit, Chuck."

00000

Morgan gets a new t-shirt, one with a random, old school Street Fighter reference on it. Casey's subscription to Guns and Ammo magazine is renewed. Jeff and Lester get Jeffster pins, and Big Mike is presented with a Marlin key chain.

"Happy birthday, Chuck," Sarah says, and kisses his cheek. She's on break from the Orange Orange.

"Hey, thanks," he says, and then hands her a large shoebox.

Sarah frowns. "What's this?"

"It's for you," Chuck grins. "I got it for you."

"But...Chuck, it's your birthday."

"I know," Chuck nods.

"You did this last year too, you know," She comments. "You got everybody else gifts on your birthday."

He shrugs. "It's a thing. Go with it."

She sighs and takes the shoebox, opening it. Her face lights up. "Oh my god."

Chuck smiles.

Inside the box are a pair of bright red wellington boots, complete with little bows on the sides, though not as cutesy as the ones she had when she was younger.

"This is so sweet," Sarah tells him softly. "I don't know what to say. I..."

"You don't really have to say anything," Chuck tells her. "Just...y'know. Enjoy the boots."

She gazes at him for a moment and looks past him toward the Nerd Herd desk. "What's that? It has your name on the wrapping?"

Chuck blinks and turns around, looking at the gift Bryce had left. "Oh...Bryce...yeah, he got me something."

"Well, don't you wanna see what it is?"

"Maybe later."

Bryce bristles as he watches this from the printer section. "We need a birthday-vention."

Morgan nods. "Already one step ahead of you buddy...or, at least, Ellie is."

Bryce turns to the shorter man.

"She's got a whole tiny surprise party lined up," Morgan says. "Sarah, me, Casey, the Captain, and her..."

"I'm not invited?"

"You are," Morgan snaps. "That's why I'm telling you. Because she didn't want to have to invite you because she hates you. I mean, I know you didn't beat up Chuck because you were training him in the ways of the super spy, but she's still getting lied to for her own safety."

Bryce sighs heavily. "I burn, I pine, I perish. What time is the party?"

"Chuck gets off at six, and I made sure you, Casey and I have off at five," Morgan tells him. "And...did you just quote Shakespeare about Chuck's married sister?"

"Tell anyone, and I'll kill you so creatively, I'll never be tried because the judge and jury will be that impressed."

Morgan nods. "Okay! See you at the apartment!" he rushes off.

Bryce watches him go, and then turns back to Chuck. Sarah has gone back to work, and so is he, back at the Nerd Herd desk, ignoring the wrapped gift with his name on it.

00000

"Bryce."

Ellie is trying to be polite. She knows that Bryce and Chuck are friends again, but she can't help disliking him.

He steps inside and nods, looking at Morgan, Ellie and the tall, blond man he hasn't met before. "You must be Devon. Hi."

Devon nods. Clearly he's taking his cues from his wife, as he makes no move to shake hands or greet him. "'Sup, Bro."

Bryce nods back and then turns to Ellie and Morgan. "You know, it's funny. Chuck can't hold his liquor, and we spent four of his birthdays getting completely hammered together in college. But he still wouldn't give about why he hates his birthday so much."

"Well," Ellie says, crossing her arms. "If he didn't want you to know, then I don't think we should tell you."

Bryce rolls his eyes. "Yeah. Whatever."

"Can we just get through tonight without killing each other?" Morgan asks pleadingly. "Just...call a truce, for one night. For Chuck."

Bryce gives her a little boy grin and holds out a hand for a shake. "Truce?"

Ellie huffs, so very put upon and shakes his hand. "Truce."

At this point, spy Bryce would probably pull her a little closer by the hand, start his seduction techniques...but he's real boy Bryce right now, and her husband, who is significantly taller, and more muscular, is standing right behind her.

He just smiles more, as he's put to work helping Devon hang the "Happy Birthday, Chuck!" banner.

00000

"So, are you going to tell me why you hate your birthday so much, or do I start guessing?" Sarah asks as they walks slowly into Echo Park.

Chuck sighs. He's holding her hand gently, his fingers brushing against hers absently and it feels good. The truth is that he hasn't felt this good in a long time. Despite his paranoia about Shaw, and despite the stresses of learning the spy business, he feels like things are coming together. He's doing well with his training, and his fingers are loosely interlocked with a woman he's dreamed about for two and a half years.

That's not terrible.

They reach the fountain and he has a seat, looking up at her. "You know my dad left when I was thirteen."

Sarah nods. "I know."

"Newly thirteen," he tells her. "The night after I turned thirteen."

Her eyes widen a little. "Oh, Chuck..."

"You know what? It's okay," he tells her. "It is. I found a way to cope."

"Buying gifts for other people."

"Recognizing the people in my life that I love," Chuck says. "The people who I know will always be there. The ones that won't leave. I know that's sappy but...but it helps."

She strokes his hair gently and slides her hand down to stroke his cheek. "How are you always so good?"

Chuck grins. "Just lucky, I guess."

Sarah tugs on his hand gently to get him on his feet and kisses him softly before leading him toward the apartment door. "Come on. I bet you're tired from work."

"Are you proposing a nap?" he asks. "Perhaps a snuggly nap? Because those are-"

They step through the door, and he stops talking, looking up at the "Happy Birthday Chuck" banner.

Morgan, Bryce, Devon, Ellie and even Casey are standing under it.

Nobody says surprise, or jumps around. Nobody throws streamers or confetti. There's a small pile of gifts on the couch, a fresh cake on the counter, and ingredients for something Chuck's good at cooking laid out, all ready.

Ellie smiles. "Happy birthday, little brother."

Chuck grins. He looks at Sarah, and then at his friends and family, and nods, before heading to the kitchen.

It's a quiet, low key party. Chuck cooks, and everyone drinks a little. They eat and then he opens his gifts, including the one from Bryce which he packed to take home with him.

"Hey! This is amazing!"

"Took you long enough to open it," Bryce grumbles playfully.

Chuck just sticks his tongue out at him.

The cake is eaten, and everyone hangs around a little while longer, until they realize it's a work night, and most everyone goes home.

"You know I realized something," Bryce says as he helps Chuck clear away the dishes.

"That I was right about my Honeymooners observation?" Chuck asks playfully. "Because that's some screwed up-"

"September eighteenth," Bryce says. "Stephen Bartowski's file says that he went into hiding on the night of September nineteenth, nineteen ninety-three."

Chuck swallows and rushes his pile of dishes to the sink. He immediately turns on the water and starts washing them.

"I'm sorry, Chuck."

"Look, my family is what it is," Chuck says. "I can't change what happened to me when I was a kid. but I can take comfort in the knowledge that I can decide what happens next."

Bryce watches him for a long moment. "That's a good philosophy."

"It keeps my feet on the ground," Chuck grins a little.

Bryce cringes. "Only you would quote a Ben Folds Five song during a serious conversation."

"Who's having a serious conversation? I'm not having a serious conversation, I'm just washing some dishes while my old college buddy looks at me like I am both crazy, and the most irritating man on earth."

"You are," Bryce tells him. "Happy birthday, Chuck. G'night."

"Night, Bryce."