A/N: Never let it be said that I don't deliver! After the great response and numerous story and favorite alerts, I figured I wouldn't be an asshole and leave you guys hanging on that cliffhanger. I wasn't initially planning on doing that anyway, but it was too easy to pass up. Sorry about that. It was a crime of opportunity, I swear. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the third chapter. And trust me when I say, the more reviews I get to see, the more eager I am to deliver. So once more, from the bottom of my heart: Thank you all for your awesome reaction.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck. I'm pretty sure that's the only thing that's referenced in this chapter, but if I somehow forgot something, I probably don't own that either. I really don't own that much anyway :(

Chapter 3

Sarah's heart started pounding a little bit faster. Devon was going to get a thank you for this one later on. The main issue at hand was that Sarah was genuinely confused. She'd been asked out loads of times. More times than she wanted to count anyway. So why was this different? Was it love? Well that would just be fantastic wouldn't it? Oh, except for the fact that her ex-conman dad always gave her one valuable life lesson. Love is for suckers. So when Chuck asked her out, why the hell did she feel like she could pick up a monster truck and run a marathon with it on her back?

Maybe it was because for the first time in her life, this wasn't about sex. Well, obviously a relationship would head there eventually, but Chuck asked her out because he genuinely liked her. At least, she hoped that was the main reason. Still, her main skill was reading people, which was invaluable during her line of work and in real life. She'd read loads of people who tried to make a play at her cause of her looks. Such was the life when one decides to settle down in Los Angeles. And especially when you look like you've spent your entire adult life on the cover of fitness, male and glamour magazines. There was always a special look someone would have in his eyes if he was going for the notch on the bedpost. It looked like the look that a lion would get when he injured a gazelle and was about to move in for the kill. Sufficed to say, Animal Planet was a daily stable in the Walker residence. But when she saw Chuck's eyes, she didn't see that. What she saw was admiration, respect and genuine compassion.

She hoped that she had displayed those same things, because if there was one thing that Chuck deserved, it was a healthy dose of respect. Abandoned by the world, left to take care of himself by his sister and his friend. Betrayed by the woman he loved and someone who he was proud to call a friend. If that happened to her, it would end her as a human being. She might do something drastic, like jump into her work head first. Becoming a slave to labour. And she figured it was because of the tragedy that he and his sister went through, that they literally became the world's nicest people. It was obvious. She'd talked to Devon about Ellie once. What she saw when she read him was disturbing, and unbelievably sweet at the same time. She saw a level of devotion she'd never known. It border lined on scary. She figured that if Ellie would be captured by some sort of crazy psychopath and brought to the jungles of Thailand, he'd go out on his own to wreak havoc in that country just to find her. And when she saw that devotion, she'd gotten a pang in her chest. A pang that told her that somewhere, deep down inside of her, she wanted the same. She wanted someone who she could rely on. Who would mount a rescue operation by himself, just so they could be reunited. Was that how love felt like? She had no idea.

Her dad was always someone who she figured she'd loved. After all, she went along in his crazy get-rich-quick schemes just so she could be near him. She figured that meant love. But really, that was the only point of reference she had. Her life was pretty awkward after all. It started when her Dad decided to relocate to San Diego. "Lotsa' places for suckers, y'know." He told her. So he had her dye her hair ginger, take a shortened hair cut and braces. Oh, and gave her the most ridiculous name in existence. Jenny Burton, really? To say she wasn't happy was an understatement. But her father egged her on, and because she loved him, or at least she thought she did, she went ahead with his crazy schemes. So when, after two years, he decided that it was enough and they moved to Los Angeles. Here he had gotten a legitimate job as a journalist which sparked Sarah's initial interest in journalism. Travel the world, delivering the most important stories that millions of people got to read about? Where could she sign up? She had gotten another cover name, courtesy of her father, but this one she actually liked. It accentuated her femininity, but it also showed that she wasn't a pushover. It suited her to a T. Sarah Walker. So, she grew her hair back out and got rid of that ridiculous ginger hair. Life in Los Angeles suited her. It provided a plethora of fitness activities so she could get back in shape. Sure, sometimes she'd wish she didn't get in the shape that she was in. Especially when she wanted to go out with her one friend. Carina. She hadn't seen her in ages. Carina was an interesting woman. She'd gotten the large end of the hormonal stick, and her libido was unmatched. Not that Sarah wasn't interested in sex. She'd had her fair share of one night stands and such. But after a while that life started to feel void. Void of emotions, void of what she truly wanted. So, she donned her proverbial chastity belt, and came up with her insane rules. She wanted more. Hell, she needed more. The way she was going she was going to end up emotionless like a robot, or a C.I.A. agent. And neither of those options looked particularly attractive.

So she figured that was why she was attracted to Chuck. She saw someone who could offer her those emotions that she so desperately craved. Sure, Chuck was broken. Probably came with a lot of emotional baggage. But the fact that he actually had emotional baggage proved one thing to her. He wasn't afraid of his emotions. And he sure as hell wasn't someone who was looking for a quick screw. Pick her up in a bar, screw her brains out and get her to do the walk of shame. And he wasn't too bad on the eyes either, it had to be said. Still, she had to wait a ridiculous amount of time for him to actually come forth and put in an effort. So why not let him sweat a little right? So she donned her best scowl, and crossed her arms.

Chuck's eyes went wide-eyed with terror. Yeah, he figured she'd shoot him down. But that smallest of embers of hope, that was left in his chest was crushed. This was going wrong, really fast. Maybe if he'd laugh it off as a joke? Yeah, that might work.

"Sarah-"

"Chuck…" They both started. After the awkward chuckle, Chuck figured he might as well let Sarah say what she wanted to. Get it over with. Sarah stepped up to him, still brandishing the scowl that made his insides boil in agony. He was sure that she could've stopped terrorists with that look alone.

"What… the…" she started. Hell were you thinking? As if I'd ever even be interested in you. Please, you are pathetic. Your life is a waste. Please don't you ever insult me again. His mind finished.

"…hell took you so long?" Sarah's face broke into a soft smile.

"Sarah, I'm sorry I even asked. It was way out of line, just as you are way out of my league. I'm sorry for insulting you and I… Say what now?"

"Well, I figured I was giving you all the right signals. I guess I kind of flaked on that one. Sorry about that." She lifted her arm behind her head in the universal "apology" gesture.

Chuck's heart leapt out of his chest. What the hell had just happened. Did that really happen? Oh boy, those headlines were going to be national news. Sarah said yes. Wait… Sarah said yes. Oh crap.

"Sarah. Uhh, I don't want to gross you out of anything. But uhm… I'm going to have to go for a bit. I'm gonna have to vomit, and I think it would negate any romantic benefit, that I'm sure I'm going to need to get you to still want to go out with me, if I were to spew all over you… So yeah, I'll see you in a jiffy." He started, before he turned and sprinted out. Usain Bolt would've been jealous.

Sarah was left standing, flabbergasted and with a bemused smile on her face. If only he knew that he'd pretty much won her over. You don't commit! Her mind told her. Remember what Dad told you? If there's someone who knows what he's talking about, it's Dad. Sarah told her mind to shut up. She was going to revel in this feeling for a bit. After all, it's the first time she was properly courted. Most of her one night stands involved copious amounts of liquor. There was no liquor involved here. Well, maybe from Chuck's perspective judging by the way he was shaking. But she was still taking this one as a win.

That's when she came to an awful realization. She was acting like a goddamn teenager. She was 26 for crying out loud. So, she went with her star-reporter mask. The one that betrayed no emotion. Except that she failed. Not miserably mind you, but her lips had a curve that very few people had ever gotten to see.

And that's when her mind slapped her in the face with the second realization. She was going to have to interview Bryce Larkin tomorrow. Son of a bitch! She'd seen several reports of him. Handsome, but very aware of it. A playboy millionaire. Every woman's dream man. Yeah right. Still, she knew for a fact that she herself was drop-dead gorgeous. To deny that would be vain. And when you put one and one together, the end result would usually be two. Bryce was using his influence in the newspaper to force her to go out with him. And the real issue here would be that if she denied, she'd be out on her ass. And how could she deny really? She couldn't tell him she was seeing someone. Hell, she only just accepted a first date, and there wasn't even a set time yet. And Sarah didn't lie. Sure, she twisted the truth around sometimes. What self-respecting journalist didn't? So that was out of the window. Unless… At that point her mind kicked into gear again. Please. This is pathetic. You're trying to justify him to ask you out for tonight aren't you? Making up silly excuses. Who cares if you're out on your ass. It's not like you can't find a different job. You're like, the best reporter, ever. Well, damn. Her mind was sharp. Of course, the whole arguing with one-self was ridiculous in its own right. But damn it, she waited six months. So she decided. This was going to happen tonight. If things went the way she hoped they would, for example: He wouldn't try to get her in bed (even though she really, really wanted him to) and be the good company that she so desperately craved, she could face Bryce, shoot him down hard and be on her way again. Screw Graham and his paper.

Chuck walked back to her, except his back was turned to her. She also noticed his hand was in front of his mouth. "Sarah, would you mind giving me some mints or something? I don't want to scare you away cause uhh… I'm really excited about… this all you know… And uhh… I'm not so sure what I'm supposed to say… But mints would be a good idea… Yeah, definitely a great idea… So uhh. Please?" he said, muffled.

Sarah chuckled. "Sure Chuck. Give me your hand." Chuck gave her the hand he was covering his mouth with. "Other hand." She said, with an arched eyebrow. She could see Chuck stiffen, and mentally slapping himself. They were quite similar in that respect. Sheepishly, he held out his other hand and took the mints. He popped three of them in his mouth. He started munching on them and seemed to be ridiculously intent on making sure that all of his concentration was on that task. When he finally swallowed them, he smelled his breath, and content that it was finally acceptable, turned around to face Sarah.

"Uhh, right. Back to the task at hand. So, just so we're clear. I didn't have a psychotic break just now, and imagined that you said yes, am I right?"

"You are correct." Sarah deadpanned.

"Right. Well, that solves that problem. Now here's my second question. What the hell is wrong with you?" He said. When he realized what he said, his hands flew to his mouth, and the blush on his face was returning with a vengeance.

Sarah simply chuckled. That was 100% pure Chuck. His doubt in himself, whilst totally unfounded, gave off a disarming vibe and was adorable. "I'm five by five at the moment. So, I take it Devon told you, huh?"

She could see the wheels in his head turning. His face went from admission, to calculating, to shock and finally to deceit. But then again, you didn't have to be an expert in reading people to see that Chuck was trying to deceive her.

"Devon?" He asked, while his voice registered at least three octaves higher than normal. "Nuh-uh, he had nothing to do with this. Nothing at all. He didn't have to spell it out for me, because I uh…" At this point, Chuck realized he was lost. So he decided to go for broke, and pull out some of the old Bartowski charm, only mildly influenced by years of James Bond movies. "Please, baby. I could totally see the signs… I just wanted to make you lust after me…" When he realized that he once again said something stupid, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Sarah. It's just that, I figured you just wanted someone to talk to. Look at you. Women in Hollywood dream at night about looking like you. And God, of course I want to take you out. But seriously, why me? What did I do? I'm pretty sure that every time you even came within 12 yards of me, my nervous system crashed, and I was left a catatonic mess."

"Why don't you let me decide what I want, Chuck? I think that'll save us both a huge hassle. Now, if I recall correctly, you asked me out on a date, and I accepted. Now, I might not be an expert on dating rules, but I do believe that this would be around the time where you suggest an actual time and place. So, how close am I?"

Chuck laughed. No grin, no smirk, no smile. Just a genuine laugh. Sarah thought it sounded amazing. "You're actually spot on. How about Friday? I'll pick you up at say, seven?"

Sarah shook her head. "Sorry Chuck, that's too long from now. I'm afraid you'll have to think of something sooner."

"Oh, how about Wednesday then? Same time?"

Again, Sarah shook her head. "Come on, Chuck. I've been dropping you hints for a while now. Surely you can think of something better?" She asked, while her eyes started sparkling.

Finally Chuck caught on. With his own sparkle he said: "Oh. Well, that only leaves tonight then. Such a shame that I can't… You see, I've got a date tonight."

Sarah choked on air. "A date?" she sputtered. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh you know, it won't be that big a deal. Dinner, maybe a movie depending on what the girl wants. I don't really mind, as long as my companion is entertained." He looked at his watch. "Yeah, I'll be picking her up in a couple of hours. I've got to go, Sarah. I'll see you later."

Sarah felt dejected. Still, she couldn't help but ask. "Do I know her?"

Chuck turned around to face her. The amusement on his face was clear as day. "Intimately. I'll see you tonight, Sarah. Pick you up at seven. Don't be late." With that, he kissed her on the cheek and walked out.

Sarah was positively giddy. The ice that she felt form in her stomach dissipated with his words, and the kiss seemed to emanate a heat that went from her cheek, straight to her abdomen. A rush of endorphins was released into her blood stream. Still, she knew she had to tell him one more thing. "Chuck, wait."

Chuck turned around. "What is it, Sarah?"

"You don't even know where I live."

She glanced at her clock. Five to seven. She'd been done for a while now. From what Chuck had told her, they were in fact going for the classic dinner and movie combo. Of course, seeing as how this was her first proper date, she couldn't care less as to what they were going to do. So, knowing that, she decided to go for a blouse that complimented her eyes and a pair of form fitting jeans. It was casual, but it worked. A knock on the door brought her out of her musings. She walked to the door, and before opening it, she checked her hair one more time. Perfect.

As the door swung open, both Chuck and Sarah felt their eyes bulge out. Sarah was literally gobsmacked. She had noticed that Chuck could wear a suit. He could wear it well. But she had never seen him casual. She instantly became a fan of the look. His hair wasn't combed down as she so often saw in the office. He actually had curls. And damn it all if that didn't suit him. The jeans and T-Shirt combo worked so well that she had lost all interest in going out. She was fine with staying at home and doing really fun… She chided herself. She made up these ridiculous rules herself, so she was going to stick to it.

"Holy crap. Sarah, you look gorgeous. I mean, I know I've said that before, I'm pretty sure that's the only thing I think whenever I see you. But look at you, you're breathtaking. I'll be right back, I've got to find Devon and thank him once again for pointing this out to me. I really should stop talking now… Yeah, I'm going to do that."

Sarah blushed again. She hoped that he would never find out what the rambling did to her. If he knew, and he utilized it, she'd be married to him within 48 hours. Still, her question remained. Why was she so ridiculously interested in this guy. Cute only got you so far. And he definitely wasn't stunning, like some of the people she had come on to him. And why the hell did she not even think about even bothering to share a bed with these gorgeous people, but when she was around him she started thinking about marriage. Sometimes it really sucked to be driven by emotions. Especially ones that she couldn't control. But she figured she might as well stop worrying, and enjoy the ride. Let the chips fall where they may.

"I have to say, Chuck. I've found a new favorite style. I've never seen someone make casual work that well." She said.

Chuck shrugged. "Thanks. I usually go by casual, but I figured Langston wouldn't appreciate me making myself at home in his office."

Sarah laughed. "No, I guess you're right. It's a damn shame though. So, here we are. It's 7 p.m. What's on tonight's schedule?"

Chuck held out his hand, which Sarah decided to grab. She only did it to humor him. Really. "Well, I'll spare you the details, but my crack team of planners have drawn out an evening full of fun. Sufficed to say, there were maps and charts involved. But, I've gotten it down pat, so they finally let me go. First up, the dinner. Culinary Specialist, Morgan Guillermo Grimes is responsible for this one. I hope you like Italian. He assured me, in a killer Italian accent, that this restaurant would be a hit with the ladies. And I kind of figured that I could use all the help I could get with this one." Chuck said.

Sarah looked at him incredulously. "Morgan picked out the restaurant for a date that he wasn't even having himself? How does that work?"

"Well," Chuck replied. "Morgan is somewhat of an expert at restaurants. He had always harbored feelings of being trapped by his parents, and wanted to live on his own as soon as possible. His first move was to get out of having to eat his mom's dinners. So he started ordering take out and what not. So through years of training, he found the perfect restaurant for every situation. He suggested I go for the wining and dining experience, because I was going out with such a sophisticated woman. Of course, I agreed with him and he gave me a multitude of options. I narrowed it down to Italian, because really, you can't ever go wrong with Italian. So there you go."

Sarah had to laugh at his explanation. "Italian is fine, Chuck. I've actually been to Italy once. It's a gorgeous country you know?"

They arrived at his car. Chuck opened the door for Sarah, and when she'd entered, he dashed around, hoping to minimize any time that he couldn't spend with her. When he stepped in, he replied to her question. "You know, I've always wanted to go to Europe." He said, wistfully. "Sadly, the only trips we ever took were pretty local. And when Mom and Dad left, we couldn't really go on vacation anymore. And being a game-reviewer doesn't really help you with regards to the globetrotting."

Sarah fell silent. She only knew how it felt to leave one parent behind, when her father "kidnapped" her. She wondered about that moment in her life a lot. She didn't really know whether kidnapped would've been a good word. After all, her dad promised her one thing. They'd have a lot of fun. And if you'd disregard the awkward social skills, courtesy of lying to everyone she'd ever met, they did have some fun. So who knows, maybe she got the better end of the deal. Still, that didn't really help Chuck at this point in time. Luckily, the awkward air was cleared by Chuck himself.

"So anyway, I know it's cliché, but let's talk about you for a bit. What drives you?"

Sarah rectified her last statement. The air wasn't cleared at all. As a matter of fact, the awkward had just increased by at least ten-fold. What the hell was she going to tell him? Hi, I'm an ex con-woman. I became a journalist because my Dad was one, and I wanted to impress him. I've had copious amounts of sex, but I stopped because I realized that I wanted something real, and you seem like the guy to be able to give that to me. Yeah, that'd go over well. So she did what she was good at, thanks to her con years. She deflected. "Oh, you know. The usual. I'm pretty sure I'd bore you to death. So how about you?"

Luckily, he took the deflection with grace. "Oh. Well, I'm pretty sure you heard about the Jill story. It turns out that it's quite the commodity around the office. I'd tell you more, but I'm under strict orders not to talk about my past on the first date. Ellie can be quite the hard ass. Sure, if you meet her, you see the cuddly, well-mannered, brilliant doctor. But trust me when I say, if you get on her bad side, your shins will not be safe. And I wouldn't put it past her to have placed some sort of bug or recording device on my person when I wasn't looking. She's quite sneaky you know. And seeing as how I quite value my shins intact, I'm afraid that that's about all I can tell you about me. I'm sorry."

He did look apologetic, once again enforcing Sarah's notion that he was simply an amazingly sweet guy, fallen on some hard times.

"That's okay. Yeah, I heard the story, but I wasn't sure as to how legit it was."

Chuck laughed. "Legit? Really? I'm not going to see a recap of this date appear in tomorrow's edition, am I?"

Sarah laughed in return. "Well, you know what they say. You can take a person out of journalism, but you can never take journalism out of a person… Or something along those lines anyway." Chuck smiled, and a comfortable silence lulled through the car.

They'd arrived at their destination, but not before Sarah mocked him for his driving. He told her he was driving at the speed limit. Apparently it was still too slow. After they'd handed off their coats, they both came to a startling conclusion. They were both way underdressed. Sarah looked at Chuck, who chose that moment to look at her. It was as if they had a telepathic conversation, as they both burst into laughter at the exact same time.

When they had reached their tables (under the pointed stares of the other patrons), Chuck had pulled out Sarah's seat. She thanked him, and added another point to her mental "Chuck-list". So far, he was up 8 points. And that was simply on the drive over. She was amazed at how easy their conversation flowed. Gone was the depressed, sad sack vibe that he had over him when he was at the office. Instead, she was talking with an interesting, bright young man in his twenties who had real passion for his hobbies. There was one thing that she noticed though. "You're not happy with your job, are you?"

Chuck sighed, and ran a hand through his curls. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then reached for his glass of wine.

"Chuck, It's okay. I'm not going to judge you." Sarah said, trying to lure him out of his cave.

"I know. You're right. Well, you're sort of right. I love doing what I'm doing at the moment. I'm earning a decent salary for playing video games and talking about them. And I'm doing it with my best friend. It's just that, this wasn't what I had envisioned myself doing, you know. I always thought I'd be this wealthy software developer, who was so wealthy that he could quit working when he reached 26. He'd pick up sailing or something else that rich people do, and live out his life in luxury. He'd be married to the girl of his dreams. And when they would both be in their thirties, they would have the talk that changed their lives. They'd decide to start a family. And every time I go into the office, I'm reminded that it's not who I am going to be. And it reminds me of Jill and Bryce."

Sarah's mind snapped into attention. Bryce wasn't that common a name. The odds were still astronomical, but something inside the back of her head told her that there was much more to Bryce Larkin, millionaire software developer who had stopped working when he was 26 years old, than she had assumed. Still, those worries were stored in a queue. First thing in the queue was enjoying her dinner with Chuck.

"Well, I don't see why Ellie didn't want you to tell me about it. It helps me understand your motivations so much better." Sarah said. Chuck looked at her skeptically. "No, I'm serious Chuck. I always sensed that you were burdened by something. And I'm not just talking about the self deprecating thing. Although it's unbelievably cute, in a disarming sort of way, it's also a complete misconception of you as a person. I wasn't just trying to flirt with you when I made those comments. I was genuinely saying what I thought of you. Whenever you talk to Morgan, there's a glimpse of the man that I figure you were before you were unceremoniously dropped into this pile of crap. Just watching you talk to Morgan, trying to convince him of a problem that doesn't even matter…" She saw Chuck wince, "…what I mean was, problems that don't exist in real life, there's a fire in your eyes, and a confident aura that's normally not around you. And trust me when I say…" She said, as she put her hand on his, and looked into his eyes. "That's when you're most attractive to me."

Chuck swallowed nervously. "Uhh… Wow, that was quite a mouthful. Thank you, I guess. I'd tell you when you're most attractive to me, but that's impossible. Because, you're always ridiculously attractive. Whenever you would chew on your straw while drinking a coffee. Or sticking out the tip of your tongue when you're typing a fantastic report. You're stunning. When I saw you tonight, I kind of had that cartoon moment. You know, the one where the characters tongue would roll out of his mouth. I'm pretty sure that I was doing that. And you know what's else? Well, it turns out I'm rambling again. So I'm just going to shut up and take another bite."

Sarah started giggling. The last time she giggled, she was 5. So, it was long overdue to say the least.

"Tell me about yourself, Sarah. How'd you become… Well, you." Chuck started.

"Well, I could…" Sarah mused, "But we wouldn't want to go through all our subjects too soon right? After all, we still need some material for our second date." She added with a wink.

Chuck's brain stopped for a moment. When it came back online, it went into overdrive, analyzing her words and the meaning behind them. He could only draw one conclusion. I'm going to have to get Devon something special. He faced her with his patented grin, and Sarah cursed her insides for betraying her once again.

As they finished dinner, the conversation kept going nonstop. They never did stop having enough material. The conversation flowed from Batman to politics, to video games to dancing. When they broached the dancing part of the conversation, Sarah noticed that Chuck's eyes had gotten an unusual twinkle. She had to know what that one was all about.

"So Chuck, ever since I told you I like to dance, your eyes have been displaying an unusual amount or mirth. Divulge please." Sarah said.

"Oh, that one's easily explainable. You see, this is where Ellie and Devon come in. After dinner entertainment. At first I suggested a movie. I figured the whole dinner/movie thing was a cliché for a reason, and I've got to be honest with you, my dating life apart from Jill was well… Nonexistent really. But that wouldn't fly with the Awesomes, so they ordered me to go dancing. It'll be the next stop on our frolicking night of fun."

Sarah's eyes started sparkling. She loved dancing. Although the only real partner she ever had was her father, who taught her. Who else could perform a waltz to perfection, but then trip at the last second, only to stabilize themselves by snatching on to someone, and lifting his wallet? Still, she did learn how to dance properly, and it always made her feel a connection with him. The only other time she felt that connection to him was when he'd compliment her on a con. Which dancing essentially was.

Still, throughout the years, she'd gone out a lot with Carina. And her kind of dancing wasn't all that bad either. So it basically involved one person's pelvic area grinding against the other person's hip area. But even that became fun after a couple of shots of liquid courage. So she was definitely looking forward to it.

"Seriously though, Sarah. Don't get your hopes up. My dancing is atrocious at best. The only reason I even agreed to it, was because I figured you'd like it. Which you seem to do. And as I told you in the office, my only job is to make sure my companion is thoroughly entertained."

Sarah's eyes were practically beaming. "Trust me, Chuck. So far, you're ten out of ten. Now let's go, we've spent enough time here."

The club they went to was thumping. Fast beats were emanating from the loud speakers. As Sarah dragged Chuck along the floor, heading for the bar, she was getting frustrated with the amount of leers she was getting. Couldn't they see that she was with someone? Sarah might not have been the most celibate of people, but the one thing she wasn't, was a cheat. And, with said chastity belt added to her daily clothing, even suggesting was a big no-no. What people apparently didn't expect from the pretty blonde was that she was also quite the brawler. Her dad had her take self-defense classes. And he taught her how to use a knife. Not only was that helpful for when she had to cook, which she barely did anyway, but it also helped to intimidate any potential suitors of her that she had no interest in. Still, it gave her the opportunity to cling to Chuck. She found out earlier that being in his arms was definitely one of the best places to be. So she could parlay her distaste for most of the male population to forcing Chuck to hold hands, or other small forms of intimacy. It felt great. He'd convinced her to go on a second date by being a perfect gentleman. He secured the third by the way he held her, when she pulled him into a hug. She didn't know why she did it, but it felt right. So she did. After all, her instincts had never led her wrong. And he secured the fourth by actually not being that bad a dancer.

First she had to force him to drink a little, but when he did, the self deprecating Chuck was pushed into the dark, and his fun, playful side came out. Sarah could honestly say that she was having fun. Still, Chuck couldn't have too much, because he still had to drive them after all. After a couple of hours of dancing, Chuck turned to her.

"Sarah. I hate to be doing this to you, but we've got to go. It's getting late, and I want to do one more thing with you. To sort of, commemorate this evening. Because I'm having a great time with you, and I want to share something with you, that not many people know of me. To show you how grateful I am that you decided to even give me a chance."

Sarah was stunned. How was he not seeing that he was a genuinely great guy? So what if she was more physically attractive than him. She had never met a more beautiful soul than him. Yeah, that sounded cheesy, even in her head. But that didn't mean that it was any less true.

She had planned on telling him that she had a great time. That this was her first real date ever, and that she had a blast. That she was certain that her choice to start trying for real, instead of having meaningless sex time and again was the best decision she had ever made. That she was grateful to get to spend her first time (yeah, she knew how awkward that one would sound.) with someone like him. Someone who truly cared for a person.

But she had already had a couple of shots of tequila, so her words were more along the lines of: "Sounds grrrrreat." Hey, at least she tried. She'd tell him later what it meant to her.

So as Chuck weaved them through the crowds, Sarah figured it was time to play the clingy woman once more. She reveled in his touch, as she put her head against his chest, as his arm enveloped her, pushing her through the crowds. Sometimes, being manipulative was fantastic.

As Chuck drove his Ford out of the Downtown area of L.A., Sarah couldn't help but wonder where they were going. She looked to her left, to see Chucks profile. She could plainly see the grin on his face (which had been near perpetual ever since he'd pulled his silly "I already have a date" prank.) and couldn't help but feel giddy herself. He was truly making an effort for her. So why not let him drag her along to some place special. It actually made her feel a little special as well. Suddenly, she noticed that they were slowing down. Chuck turned his car into an open space, and had gotten out of the car. As he walked past the car to open her door, she noticed they were on the beach.

He grabbed her hand and led her to a spot in front of some palm trees. He sat down in the sand, and invited her to do the same. She had sobered up a bit on the ride over, so her train of thought was mostly hers again. As she sat down, she decided that this was the perfect opportunity to snuggle into him. She wasn't too clear on the social etiquette behind dating, but he didn't seem to mind. And besides, Sarah made her own rules anyway.

They had been sitting in silence for a while. Sarah's eyes had drooped a bit. Suddenly, Chuck started talking. "Sarah. I've done a lot of things on this beach. I've laughed here. I've cried here. I've gotten angry here, and I've forgiven here. I've blamed here, and I've been blamed here. I was here when my Mom and Dad left, and when I had gotten the news that Devon had proposed to Ellie. I had plans on bringing Jill here. To share with her, what I'm sharing with you. I brought you here, because I really do like you. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I was attracted to you. Who wouldn't, right?" He softly chuckled. "But the truth of the matter is that you only added to that already perfect image I had of you. You were smart, funny and vibrant. A single bat of your eyelashes could brighten my day you know. And then Devon told me how blind I had been. How I had missed the signals you had been sending me for a while. And I want to apologize. I want to apologize for not being able to see them, and having them spelled out for me. But the truth is, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why it would be me. You could get anyone you had ever wanted, and you chose to spend your time with me. And slowly but surely, by being around you and my friends and family, I've been able to let go of Jill. And tonight was the culmination of your combined efforts. I actually felt like Jill had never happened. Like my parents never bailed on us. I felt happy. So, Sarah, even if nothing will ever happen between us, I want you to know that I will always consider you a friend. And if you ever need anything, you can come to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

Sarah couldn't help it. His words triggered an emotion that she hadn't felt in quite some while. Sadness. Sadness for another human being, whose life was changed forever due to the egocentric actions of a couple of individuals. Someone who shouldn't have had to face all the tragedy that he did. And for a second, she forgot all about her own issues. How her life didn't turn out the way she had wanted it either. How she had been let down by enough people herself. How empty and shallow her life truly was. She just knew that she had to show him how he made her feel. By all the little things he did. By explaining a pun or telling her a joke. By choosing her to be someone who he considered a friend. And the truth was, that she was happy that Jill never made it to this beach. To his beach. It was far too valuable a place for someone like her to ruin and taint. And the way that he talked about her. He revered her. It was ridiculous. She wasn't worthy to be revered. And yet he did. But he didn't revere her cause of how she looked, although that was part of the package. He revered her for the complete package. For the person that she was. And the truth was, behind the façade of the perfect reporter. Behind the mask of the woman who only used men as her personal toys until she got sick of it, there was a girl who had just fallen in love. All it took was some genuine affection, some words and one of the most amazing gifts that a human being could give. Something personal. She wiggled out of Chuck's hold and turned towards him. With glistening eyes, she looked in his. She could see affection, honesty, sadness and happiness, all swirling to one look, hidden within those brown eyes.

She kissed him. It wasn't hard, it wasn't raw. It wasn't full of passion. It was tender. Emotional. To show him what it meant to her to be a part of making Chuck happy again. Chuck to his credit, had stiffened for just four seconds before his brain had finally been able to use its neurons again. He kissed her back. It felt awesome. His brain was desperately trying to find the connection between Sarah, kissing and him. It couldn't compute. But his brain could multi-task with the best of them. He was detailing every moment. The breeze of the wind. The smell of Sarah. The way her lips fit against his. The promises that her kiss held.

When she finally released her lips, she looked at him. She tried to convey a multitude of emotions in her gaze. "Thank you, Chuck." She whispered, fearing to break the moment. In her mind there was one last test to pass. She stood up, and held her hand out to him. "Drive me home?"

They had reached Sarah's apartment. Sarah took a deep breath. This test wasn't necessary. It had been an amazing evening and she should just say good night and end it. But she had to know. She had to know if this wasn't all just an elaborate ruse to get in her pants. Ever the gentleman, Chuck opened her door for her. It was in fact, the little things that she was attracted to the most. She silently wondered how anyone else could ever compare to him.

She looked up at him and asked him the question that she feared could ruin everything up to this point. Call her paranoid, the fact was, she wanted… No, needed to know. "Want to come in?"

Chuck's eyes widened. She saw a myriad of emotions cross his features. Surprise, eagerness, realization, sadness, denial.

He closed his eyes, and sighed. "Sarah. I'm sorry, I can't. It's not that I don't think you're great, because I do. I hope the final part of our night proved that to you. The thing is, I don't want to base this relationship on my physical attraction to you. If you're really, truly eager for this, yes, I'll come inside. But if you don't mind, I'd much rather wait. I understand that we might see sex differently. Mainly because you'd be able to get it whenever you wanted, and I had to have the luck of the world. But I see sex as the ultimate expression of love. And as great, and amazing as you are, Sarah. I think it'd be a bit prudent of me to fall in love with you on the basis of one evening. So, no. I won't come in. I will however, be honored if you'd do me the honor of allowing me to take you out again."

Sarah nodded. Then, she locked her arms around his neck, and kissed him again. It wasn't a long kiss. That wouldn't have fit the moment. But when she leaned back, she once again reiterated her words from the beach. "Thank you, Chuck."

She went inside, shed her clothes and dove straight into bed. She was asleep within seconds, with a huge smile on her face.

A/N 2: Oof, this was a much harder chapter to write than the other two. It's also for some reason longer than the other two chapters. I've had a lot of doubts about several parts of the actual date, but my last minute idea of adding in the beach turned out quite well if I do say so myself. I also contemplated leaving this one at a cliffhanger, but that would just be cruel. And I don't do cruel well. Except on Saturdays.

Interestingly enough, I was actually planning on including the interview in this chapter as well. But then this chapter would be over 10.000 words. And that's insanity. Right?

As always, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Next up, the interview with Bryce. Will he make a play at Sarah? Will she reject him? And what does Bryce know about the Intersect? All those answers (except maybe for one. I don't know yet.) will be answered in the next chapter. I'll see you all then!