A/N: Let's begin with a reply to Edge's review: Thank you and I really appreciate the comments. I'll shake things up somehow. As to the reusing plot elements from other stories, it's a practice that helps save time and allows me to update faster. I dislike it only as far as it pertains to professional authors, who get paid for what they do.

In this chapter, you'll get the beginning of what you all want. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

"Wait here," Carina told Sarah and knocked on the door of their parents' house.

"Hello Carina," a middle aged blonde woman said. "Don't just stand there, come in." Then she turned and called out to her husband. "Jack, Carina's here!"

"I'll be right down," Jack yelled back. He was at the door to greet his daughter in seconds. "There's my big girl!"

"Dad, I'm not six anymore!"

"But you're still my first daughter. Isn't she, Emma?"

"True," Carina conceded, seeing her parents in total agreement with each other. "I have a surprise for you guys. Call it an early present."

"My curiosity is officially piqued," commented Emma.

"Ta-da!" Carina pulled Sarah in front of her.

"SARAH!" Both her parents were surprised to see their younger daughter.

"Hi guys," she said with a shy smile.

"I love the present," Emma choked out to Carina as she and her husband hugged Sarah.

"So do I," Jack agreed. "Welcome home, baby girl." To Jack, Sarah would always be his baby girl, just like Carina was his big girl.

"How long are you going to stay this time?" Emma, ever the pragmatist, asked.

"Mom, I moved back to LA today."

"What about the job you had back east?"

"Oh, that… Basically, the entire department was liquidated while I was in Rome on business. My boss called me with news of my termination a couple of days after I cinched a deal. So I decided to take a short vacation before coming home, and also took the opportunity to do a little freelance work. And then I came back. I'm still looking for a job, and I have reason to be hopeful."

"You can always come and work with us, sweetie."

"Mom, no offence, but you're not the easiest person for relatives to work with. You are the best Mom, but remember the one time we tried to work together. We made a shambles of everything."

"She's right, honey," Jack said. "You two are way too headstrong and stubborn for your own good."

"You can reminisce about all that later," Carina interrupted impatiently. "I'm starving and the smell coming from the kitchen is not making it any easier for me."

-o-

"You say you did freelance work after being fired," Jack said over dinner.

"It was quite fortunate. Granted, all I did was consulting, but it paid well."

"Who did you work for?"

"Carmichael Industries," Sarah replied without thinking and then almost bit her tongue. Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned it. Just to be on the safe side, she never would again. She missed the subtle momentary narrowing of her sister's eyes at the mention of the name Carmichael.

"I knew a guy called Carmichael," Carina commented. "But I doubt he had anything to do with any Carmichael Industries."

It was Sarah's turn to look at her sister funny. Could she have worked with Chuck too, before he created his current cover? Knowing Carina, everything was possible. Then her phone rang. "Excuse me, I have to take this. It could be about one of my job applications." She got up from the table and moved some distance from the others. "Hello… speaking… yes, of course… no, the time is just fine… I know the address… I'll be there at ten… thank you."

"Good news?"

"I secured an interview with a locally based computer company. Apparently, the VP herself will do said interview, according to the lady from human resources who just called me, which could mean that maybe I'll get a good position if they hire me. Not bad, considering I submitted the application just three days ago while on the train from DC."

"It does sound like a good omen."

"And luckily, I made the chocolate soufflé you like so much, Sarah. It's almost like I somehow knew you were coming. I can't explain what possessed me to make it otherwise."

"Fantastic. By the way, Carina told me you and Dad bought the Maison 23. How did you manage to go ahead with such an investment?"

"It was simple, actually," her father replied. "The previous owner was ruining the business with his shoddy management, so we were able to get it cheap. Emma reformed and streamlined its operation and now it's turning a handsome profit."

"I got first hand experience of the excellent services it provides now. Not knowing you had bought it, I booked a studio there."

"Room 832," Carina clarified.

"That's right next door to your sister's!" Emma exclaimed, knowing Carina's room was 834.

"Amazing coincidence, right? Anyway, we met there earlier and she immediately took me to see the manager. You can guess what happened there."

"You did very well, Carina," Jack praised her. "We could never take money from our daughters."

-o-

Meanwhile, Chuck was finishing dinner at his sister's apartment, which was right next door to his. Ellie had also invited their parents. Devon got up to get the coffee started, while Ellie was preparing to serve dessert.

"Do you need any help, Devon?"

"I got it, Chuckster."

"You didn't tell me, Chuck," Mary Bartowski said. "How was your last trip to Europe?"

"It was fine," he shrugged, throwing a meaningful look in Devon and Ellie's direction.

Mary smiled and winked conspiratorially. "Bryce did very well on the deal with that French firm."

"That he did, Mom."

"What about the program you were writing?" Stephen Bartowski asked.

"Oh, that. Well, Dad, it's 99% finished. I expect to have it completed soon, certainly before Boxing Day."

"Aces Charles, you're Aces."

"Thanks Dad. But I'll need to proof it first."

"Uh-oh," Ellie muttered.

"What?"

"Do you know how Chuck proofs his games?"

"I never asked," her father admitted.

"He calls Bryce and Morgan to his place and they play them for hours on end. They also consume large quantities of pizza, various snacks, popcorn and soda while they are at it."

"It's better than paying someone to do it for us," Chuck countered. "Besides, I've never seen Mom and Dad complaining about the sales."

"Our software division may be small, with its games department consisting of just Chuck, but it's productive. We can't complain," Mary laughed.

"Stop talking about work and try my mocha hazelnut torte," Ellie said, placing dessert dishes in front of her parents and brother.

-o-

"Mrs. Bartowski will see you now, Ms. Walker," the secretary said.

Sarah rose from her seat and reflexively smoothed her skirt. Since she was going to an important job interview, she was wearing a business suit consisting of a black skirt that came down to just above her knees, a white open necked shirt with a loose silver gray tie and a black jacket. A nice pair of shoes completed the outfit, which Chuck had bought for her in Rome, in preparation for her playing the part of Charles Carmichael's executive assistant. "Thank you," she said and knocked on the door to the Orion company Vice President's office.

"Come in!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Bartowski," Sarah said politely.

"Good morning Ms. Walker. Please, take a seat. Can I offer you anything?"

"Thanks, I'm good."

"Okay. I'll get right to the point. From what I see here, you've had an interesting professional life so far."

"What can I say? I like to travel, and I always try to do my job as best as I can."

"I heard about the downsizing of the last company you worked for. It was stupid of them to let an employee like you go. But their loss is potentially our gain. Let me ask you just this for starters: Did you ever have to hire someone to assist you?"

"No, the department budget did not cover that. I could request assistance from another department though. But I rarely did. Plus, I made a point of keeping abreast of developments in all areas pertinent to my work."

"Good answer. If you come to work for us, you'll be doing a lot of the same, but with a twist."

"I'm listening."

"You won't be merely negotiating contracts. I need someone with diverse experience in the field and you seem to fit the bill. I also spoke to a Mr. Munson, who told me that you are not averse to getting your own hands dirty."

"Seeing such things was reassuring to the customers," Sarah replied modestly.

"No argument there. It must have also endeared you to your coworkers."

"Yes, to an extent it did."

Mary continued the interview for a little while, covering many subjects and getting to know a lot more about the young woman before her than what was already mentioned in the application.

"The rest of your résumé is interesting, too, especially your summer jobs during high school and college," she said finally. "I make a point of looking at them if they are mentioned in job applications, as they tell a great deal about a person. Which one of these jobs did you like best?"

"Serving frozen yogurt at an Orange Orange," Sarah replied without hesitation.

Mary smiled. "Most girls would say that it was their stint at acting."

"It was just a commercial, nothing much."

"Yet it proves to me something about you, Ms. Walker. You are a down to earth girl. And you have the references to prove it. Every former employer of yours speaks very highly of your personality, skills and dedication. I was also impressed when I read that you are fluent in Polish."

"A great aunt on my mother's side of the family was Polish. She taught it to me."

"Such a skill may come in handy, as we are expanding our customer base in Central Europe."

"Does that mean…?"

"Yes. You are hired, for a probationary period at first. Then your performance will be evaluated and if it's found adequate, you'll be given full employee status."

"Thank you," Sarah smiled brightly.

"One more thing; you said you returned to the States from Europe four days ago."

"That is correct."

"Yet your employment was terminated a full two weeks before."

"I needed a short break." It was true. The last job Sarah had done for her company, plus the planning for the Rome heist, had been utterly exhausting. "So I sent all nonessential stuff home by mail and took a few days off. I also happened to be offered a temporary job."

"Did you take it?"

"Yes."

"What was it?"

"My employment contract included a confidentiality clause. Therefore, I am not at liberty to say."

Mary nodded understandingly. "You start tomorrow. Rest assured, you'll get time off for the holidays, as I suspect you've missed your folks, having been out of California for so long. You have family here, right?"

"Yes. And I appreciate it, thank you."

"No problem. We try to keep our people as happy as possible here."

Sarah thanked her new boss again and left. She had a big smile on her face as she went to get her Porsche. Right now, she had some shopping to do, as she needed some things for her new apartment and her new job. Nothing like a fresh start, she thought cheerfully.

-o-

Chuck made his way groggily to the bathroom, running a hand over the stubble on his chin and cheeks. After splashing a lot of water on his face, he decided to skip shaving, at least for another day. He had other priorities at the moment: He needed coffee, by the gallon. Fortunately, there was a pot ready in the kitchen, as he discovered upon going there.

"Dude, you look like the morning after," Morgan said concernedly.

"It's nothing coffee can't fix."

Morgan shook his head. "What would you have done without me keeping you supplied with Hot Pockets and shooing you off to bed at four in the morning?"

"Hmmm, I'd probably be passed out on my keyboard," Chuck mused as he gratefully poured a cup of coffee.

"Damn right. You went overboard on the thinking juice last night."

"I told Dad that the game would be finished before Boxing Day, so I had to speed things up. Although… even I didn't expect to be done so soon. I guess I really got into it."

"I know. But I'm not cleaning up your mess."

"Nobody asked you to, buddy. I'll do it, as soon as I start feeling human again."

"By the way, did you really do it?"

"Do what?"

"Finish the game…?"

"Uh, yes, sure I did."

"You did? I wasn't sure I heard you right the first time! This is so awesome! When do we proof it?"

"How about tonight?" Chuck asked, moving to his computer. The area around it was littered with Hot Pocket and candy bar wrappers, plus a couple of empty chardonnay bottles – the thinking juice Morgan had mentioned earlier. He sighed, picked up a trash bag and got started on cleaning up the mess.

"Tonight is okay," Morgan agreed. "I'll call Bryce and then we can set up the testing center."

Ellie happened to be passing by right outside and heard them. "Testing center? You are going to go on a gaming binge again," she said through an open window.

"I finished the game I was writing," Chuck proudly informed her.

"And you look much the worse for wear. Morgan, how much 'thinking juice' did he drink?"

"About a bottle and a half," Morgan replied. "But I made sure he ate well," he added.

"You don't have to worry about me turning into an alcoholic, sis. The juice comes out only when the Piranha wants to play."

"I never understood why you adopted this silly nickname back in Stanford."

"Ellie, I was the best hacker ever. Besides, it's cool."

"Shut up and go get some more sleep. You'll need it if you and the guys are going to spend all night proofing your game. Doctor's orders," Ellie said firmly.

"I'll clean up the place and go on a supply run first. We'll need pizza, burgers, hot dogs and popcorn."

"Bryce and I will take care of the drinks," Morgan volunteered.

"It's settled then," Chuck smiled and went to get his car keys.

-o-

The first day at her new job had been better than she expected, Sarah thought with relief as she closed the door of the studio behind her. Kicking off her shoes, she deposited her grocery bags in the kitchenette and then removed her suit jacket, draping it over a chair. Her new department head had showed her the ropes and afterwards she found it very easy to adjust to the new work environment and job requirements. She put a pot of water to boil for the pasta she wanted to make and poured herself a glass of wine. The sauce was easy to make and she would only have to grate some cheese as well.

"I think I'm going to like my new life," she said aloud and then turned her attention to the sauce. She would check to see if Carina was home when she was done and invite her sister over for dinner.

-o-

Ellie and Devon were leaving for their shift at the hospital. For the past couple of weeks Personnel had somehow been getting it right and not screwing their shifts up. As they went to the courtyard exit, they passed outside Chuck's apartment and Ellie stole a look inside. Her brother was fast asleep, still fully dressed, on his bed, not having bothered to get under the covers.

"Looks like the Chuckster had a rough night," observed Devon.

Ellie snorted in a very unladylike manner. "Rough night my ass. He was playing his new game with Bryce and Morgan. Come here." She dragged Devon to one of Chuck's living room windows and pointed inside. Morgan was snoring away on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. "Bryce is probably in the guest room," she added.

"Still, I think it's awesome. Your brother loves his job and takes pride in his work."

"His games have been critically acclaimed," Ellie admitted.

"Let him and the guys sleep. They need it."

"Okay. But if his place is still a pig sty when we return he's gonna get an earful. I mean, how is he ever going to get himself a girl if he can't act like the grown up man he is?"

"Going into big sister mode again, aren't you babe?"

"It's that obvious, huh?"

"Yeah, but kinda hot at the same time," Devon said and kissed her.

-o-

The blaring music from his alarm clock finally woke Chuck up. He bounded out of bed, roused Morgan and Bryce and together they straightened out the mess in the apartment. His friends left after breakfast and he took a quick shower, shaved and put on a suit. Today he was going to turn in another finished product. He smiled when he remembered the day Graham told him that he knew all about his moonlighting for Orion Computers. His Boss had merely happened to buy a computer game for a nephew of his and was very surprised to see the name Chuck Bartowski as chief developer in the credits. After locking up, he got behind the wheel of his SAAB and drove off towards the imposing Orion building downtown.

He was almost halfway there when he realized that something important was missing: The bulging folder containing the game discs and everything related to it. Cursing his absentmindedness, he turned back towards Echo Park. He would be late delivering the finished product, but only by his own schedule. To everyone else at Orion it would be a nice surprise to receive another finished product from him so soon after the last one.

In the meantime, Sarah was behind her desk at work, carefully reading an email. She needed to prepare a report and this email contained the last information she needed. Her hand toyed with a pen as she mentally crunched some numbers. Her boss was going to like the news. Then her gaze rested on the snow globe paper weight resting on the desk. It was a gift Chuck had given her back in Zurich to memorialize their brief partnership. She wondered what he was doing at that moment. He must have started the vacation Graham had promised him.

"Back to work, Sarah," she muttered to herself and concentrated on finishing the report she was writing. She soon had it done. One last reading to make sure everything was in order and she would send it to Mrs. Bartowski. Less than five minutes later, the report was in Mary Bartowski's inbox. Sarah got up and made her way to the department head's office.

"What is it, Ms. Walker?" Jason Watkins, her immediate superior, asked.

"The report is ready. I sent it to Mrs. Bartowski and forwarded copies to you and Dr. Winterbottom at the Medical Systems Division."

"Very well, Ms. Walker." Watkins' phone rang and he answered it. "Mrs. Bartowski wants to see you now," he told Sarah after hanging up.

"Yes sir."

Chuck finally made it to the Orion building. LA traffic had somehow gotten chaotic in the time it took him to go back to his apartment, find the folder and get back in the car. Still, his mood was too good to let it bother him to any extent. Going inside, he cheerfully greeted the pretty receptionist and the security guards at the front desk and took the executive elevator to the top floor, where his parents' offices were located.

On the way there, several people recognized him and made small talk with him. He was always popular with the Orion employees. Mary's office was right next to Stephen's. Her secretary was nowhere to be seen, however. She must have gone on an errand of some sort. Shrugging, he knocked on his mother's door and entered.

"Hi Mom, I got great news!" Chuck announced cheerfully.

The two women in the office turned to look at him and one of them turned a deathly white in shock.

TO BE CONTINUED

P.S.: Now that we know the name of Sarah's mother in the show, I adjusted accordingly.