Hey everyone, once again thanks for the reviews. I've gotten way more support then expected for my first ff, and it really means the world to me. This chapter is coming a lot earlier then expected, because a great idea came to me in the shower a couple days, which completely changed my idea for the meat of the story. This inspiration caused this and the next chapter to be written rather quickly, because I knew exactly where I was going with it.

Make sure you guys pay attention to the dates, because there is a time jump this chapter.

Once again self beta'd, so I apologize for any mistakes made.

All reviews are appreciated, good or bad.

Hope you guys enjoy.

Chuck vs The Rich Girl

Chapter 3: Family Matters

Thursday August 18th

Today was the day that Sarah was meeting Chuck's family, and she nervous. She really wanted to make a good impression on Ellie, as she was the one who basically raised Chuck. He had told her all about his parents leaving, and Ellie filling the role as mother, and she was impressed. She basically put her whole childhood on hold to take care of him, so it was understandable that she was a little nervous meeting her. Sure, Ellie held the official title of sister, but she was basically his mother, and meeting your boyfriend's mother is intimidating.

Tonight dinner would include Chuck, Ellie, her boyfriend Devon, and Chuck's best friend Morgan. The stories Chuck had told about Morgan gave her the opinion that it would be easy to impress him, and they had already met at the bar, so she wasn't worried about that. She was going to focus most of her attention on impressing Ellie.

Sarah spent the whole day burying her head into her work, distracting herself from the nerves she felt. She had never felt this nervous before, even meeting Bryce's family was a breeze, but of course she never felt this way about Bryce. Even when they were going strong, she never cared about their relationship like she already cared about her relationship with Chuck. So this dinner meant everything to her.

Chuck walked into Sarah's office, excited for tonight. Ellie would love Sarah, there was no doubt about it. Sarah was amazing, and Ellie would see it right away. He wasn't nervous about tonight at all, but when he walked into Sarah's office and saw her face, he knew she didn't have his same confidence.

"You look beautiful."

"Thanks." Sarah said shyly. She was used to people calling her beautiful, but whenever Chuck said it it meant so much more.

"Ellie's gonna love you." Chuck said confidently, trying to quell Sarah's nerves.

Sarah eyed him, and saw the confidence of his statement oozing from him. She was surprised that he was able to tell how nervous she was, but it seemed like he was hyper-observant when it came to her. "How can you be so sure?" She asked.

"Because you're amazing." Chuck responded bluntly. To him, she was the greatest thing in the world, and he knew Ellie would lover her.

Sarah's heart melted at his words. He was so sure of her, it was hard to not have that same confidence. Her nerves lessened, and she smiled back at Chuck to show that his reassuring words were working.

Sarah and Chuck left the office together, and the closer they got to Ellie's apartment, the more Sarah's nerves crept back. Chuck, perceptive as always, noticed right away. "I'm gonna be here the whole time. I promise." He said, staring into her eyes, saying that he would always be there to protect her.

"Ok." She nodded. She got the message loud and clear. As long as Chuck was by her side, it didn't matter what anybody else thought. He would protect her, and that's all that mattered.

They finally arrived at Ellie's apartment. They knocked on the door, which was promptly answered by Devon, Ellie's boyfriend. Devon was tall, blonde, and muscular, and had a huge smile on his face as he hugged Chuck.

"Hey bro." Devon said, releasing the hug. "You must be Sarah. I'm Devon, Ellie's boyfriend"

"Yeah i'm Sarah. Nice to meet you Devon."

Devon looked at Sarah, then back to Chuck. "Awesome!" He boomed, high fiving Chuck. All Chuck could do was laugh. Sarah rolled her eyes at the comment, which cause Chuck to smile and squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"Oh my god is Sarah here?" Sarah heard a yell from across the apartment, clearly coming from Ellie. Chuck and Sarah entered the apartment, and saw Ellie rush over from the kitchen to greet them. Ellie was tall, like Sarah, but had brown hair and green eyes. She was beautiful, and looked a lot like Chuck. It was obvious they were brother and sister.

"Hi Chuck." She said, engulfing him in a bear hug. She released the hug and took one look at Sarah, barely containing her squeal.

"You must be Sarah. I'm Ellie, Chuck's sister. It's so nice to meet you. I've heard so many great things about you" She gushed.

"Nice to meet you too. Chuck has told me a lot about you too" Sarah said honestly with a smile.

"Chuck said you were beautiful, but I think beautiful is underselling it."

Sarah blushed. "Thanks." She said shyly.

"Chuck, why don't you let Sarah help me in the kitchen." Ellie asked, but Chuck knew better than to question. When Ellie asks something like that, it was basically considered a demand.

"Sure sis." Chuck said. When he noticed the fearful look that appeared on Sarah's face for a split second, he walked over to her and whispered in her ear "it's ok, I'll be right across the room."

Sarah just smiled at Chuck and followed Ellie into the kitchen. She was anxious to break the ice with her. "I would be glad to help, but i'm not much of a cook."

Ellie just smiled. "I don't actually need your help, I just wanted to talk to you one on one. Really I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Sarah asked with a confused look on her face.

"Ever since Stanford, Chuck has been in a rut. It was like something was missing from his life. When Chuck was telling me about you, he was the happiest I had ever seen him in maybe his entire life, like he found whatever was missing. What he found was you. So thank you for making my little brother happy."

Sarah was, well ecstatic was putting it mildly. The way Ellie described Chuck's feelings for her was the same thing that she was feeling about him; that she was missing something, and that she found it in Chuck. It was an amazing feeling, learning that your strong feelings towards someone were reciprocated.

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual." Sarah said with a huge smile on her face. Ellie swallowed her in a hug, similar to the one that Chuck had received earlier. While this was happening, Morgan had shown up, and was talking to Chuck. Sarah walked over to where they were talking and gave Chuck a huge kiss.

"What was that for?" Chuck asked. "Not that i'm complaining or anything, it just came out of nowhere. I mean I don't want you to ever feel like I don't want you to kiss me, because trust me, I always do. If I could spend all day just kis…..

Sarah interrupted his rambling with another kiss. Her face lit up with a huge smile as she said "That was for being you." Chuck and Sarah were smiling at each other, completely in tune with each other, in their own little world, when they heard a voice snap them back to reality.

"Not trying to interrupt this moment, but hello Sarah." Morgan said, completely interrupting the moment.

"Hey Morgan, nice to see you again." Sarah said, a little annoyed at the interruption. Sarah talked with Morgan and Chuck for a little bit, hearing stories from their childhood, which she found incredibly cute. At one point before dinner, Morgan pulled her aside to talk one on one, similar to how Ellie did previously.

"Umm, just so you know, Chuck is my best friend. The Han to my Chewie, the Batman to my Robin."

"Who?" Sarah asked, not knowing who Han and Chewie were. She assumed they were some sort of movie or comic book reference, considering he said Batman, but she was still unsure.

"Wait, you've never seen Star Wars?" Morgan asked, completely dumbfounded.

"No, I can't say that I have."

"Wow…." Morgan trailed off, still a little shocked by her admission. "Anyway, my point is that me and Chuck are heterosexual life partners, and if you ever hurt him, i'll hurt you."

Sarah almost laughed at the image of Morgan trying to fight her. She was a black belt, and could kick Morgan's ass every day of every week. However, he appreciated the loyalty he had for his best friend. The way that Ellie and Morgan cared about Chuck was not something she was used to dealing with.

"I won't hurt him. I promise."

Morgan scurried off to tell Chuck that Sarah hadn't seen Star Wars. All Chuck could do was laugh and shake his head. It was just another thing that he had to educate her on.

About an hour after dinner was over, Sarah and Chuck finally left, saying goodbye to Ellie and Devon. Morgan had left already, about half an hour earlier.

"So did you like Ellie? She loved you." Chuck said as they entered his car.

"Yeah, I did. She was awesome. You know, when I first talked to her, she thanked me."

"She thanked you?" Chuck asked with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah. She said that ever since Stanford, you had been in a rut, like there was something missing in your life, and that after you told her about me, she figured that I was what was missing."

Chuck was silent for a minute, deep in thought, before finally responding. "She's right, you know. Before I met you, I was so lonely. I didn't really realize at the time, but this week has shown me how alone I truly was. But now i'm not anymore, and it's all thanks to you. You saved me. When my roommate/best friend stole my girlfriend, I broke. I was broken for a long time. But with you, i'm finally starting to feel whole again. "

Chuck was telling the truth, he really was saved by Sarah. He was going through life feeling numb since Stanford, afraid to feel anything, afraid of the Stanford incident to happen again. Nothing was worth taking a chance on, until he met Sarah. She was worth it, and he realized it after one meeting. The electricity he felt when they touched, the warmth he felt when she smiled at him, nobody made him feel like that before, not even Jill. It was all so overwhelming, but in the best way possible. For the first time in forever, he didn't feel broken.

Sarah smiled at Chuck, not knowing how to respond. She felt exactly the same way about him. He had truly saved her, from the moment they ran into each other at Walker Corp, and he flashed that goofy smile while apologizing. It had barely been a week, but she already felt like a completely different person, and it was all thanks to Chuck. She decided that it was time for her to open up too, to tell him what she was feeling, because he deserved it.

"You saved me too Chuck. Six months ago I was cheated on by my boyfriend, a person who I thought loved, and it broke me, just like you. Especially with how distant my parents were, it made me feel like nobody could be depended on. But I've known you for barely over a week, and I already feel like I can trust again."

Chuck just reached over his hand and squeezed hers, and they both felt better. They poured their heart to each other, leaving themselves to get burned, but instead they were comforted by the other. It was a feeling like no other, being rewarded for a risk like that. It only strengthened their blossoming relationship.

Chuck drove the rest of the way in silence, with a huge smile on his face. He hadn't felt this good since... well since forever. Eventually, they made it to Sarah's apartment, and they both got out of the car and walked up to the Apartment door. Chuck kissed Sarah goodnight, and was about to walk away, when Sarah asked, "Do you want to come inside?"

Chuck nodded, and when he entered her apartment she attacked his lips with a ferocious kiss. She pushed his back to the door, lifting up his shirt while continuing to kiss him. He grabbed her back and pulled her close to him, and started to lift up her blouse. Eventually they made their way to her bed, and made love.

Immediately after, Chuck was awake, lying next to Sarah who was fast asleep. He had just made love to the woman of his dreams, and it was more amazing then he could ever imagine. She was literally perfect. Every touch made his heart race, it was like they had become one. He finally drifted to sleep, thinking of the blonde goddess that he was currently sleeping next to.

Two hours later, Sarah was lying on Chuck's chest, wide awaken with a massive smile on her face. She could feel Chuck's rhythmic breathing, telling her that he was asleep. They had just made love for the first time, and it blew her imagination out of the water. She had fantasized about sex with Chuck ever since their run in at Walker Corp, but this was something more. It was the best sex she had ever had. She couldn't even call it sex, because it was so much more. Every touch made her shiver, and ever kiss made her breathless. It was perfect.

Making love wasn't the only reason why she had a smile on her face. Dinner with his family was perfect. Chuck was with her every step of the way, and if they ever asked her something too personal about something like her family, he would make a joke and get them to forget about it. He was simply perfect. The fact that they all loved her made the night even more special. Their conversation on the car ride back was even more special, because it just proved to her once again how special Chuck was. Sarah, for the first time in a long time, was excited for the future, and it was all because of Chuck.

Friday September 9th

Bryce Larkin was sitting at his desk at work. His job as an accountant was a boring one, but for the last seven months it has been the only thing keeping him sane. He had put his head into his work, climbing up the corporate ladder, earning himself two promotions in the last half year. His boredom was halted by his boss walking up to him, droning on about a new project.

"This comes from the top Bryce. Mr. Walker specifically asked for you. Walker corp is one of our biggest clients. You will be working at their LA office for the next two weeks, starting on Monday."

Bryce was shocked. Why would the Walkers want him, the person that broke Sarah's heart, to work with her? Where they trying to torture Sarah for some reason? It is possible that they just don't know; it's not like Sarah really talked to her parents all that often. Even if they didn't know, it wasn't like the Walkers to put in any effort to make their daughter happy, so what caused this sudden change?

Whatever the reason Bryce was happy, because this was an opportunity to fix the second biggest mistake he's made in his life.. He really cared for Sarah, and he screwed it up. After that day, he vowed to change. He had destroyed every relationship he had ever been in, and it was a self-destructive lifestyle. And he had changed; he didn't go partying every weekend like he used too, and he started actually putting in an effort at his job. All he had to do was show Sarah that he had grown up, and maybe she would take him back. It was worth a shot.

He needed a plan to get Sarah back, and the first step was to get Sarah to even talk to him. That was probably going to be the hardest part, considering what he did to her. He still had nightmares about that night, seeing the look on her face when she caught him cheating. She was completely heartbroken, and that in turn broke his heart. He really wasn't in tune with his feelings at the time, but looking back now he realized that he truly did love her. Maybe if he realized at the time how empty he felt without her, he wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake.

The past was the past, and it was time for him to make up for these mistakes. Even if he didn't win Sarah back, maybe he would at least get closure. As hard as it was for her to move on, it was just as hard for him. He hadn't even thought about getting close to another women in the last seven months, and he assumed that Sarah was just as hesitant to start a new relationship.

Soon, the pain of the last seven months would go away, because he would win her back. He would have the women of his dreams back, and he would never hurt her again. So when his boss was telling him about the contract with Walker Corp, all he could do was smile and nod. This was his chance to make everything right, and to be happy again.

He spent the rest of his work day imagining the initial reconnecting between him and Sarah. In his head, there were a couple ways it could go. She could be miserable without him, which although would make him sad, would give him the easiest route back into her life. She could be doing fine, but not be in a relationship, which would be harder, but still possible for him. Then there was the nightmare scenario; Sarah being back on the saddle already, in a happy relationship. It would be almost impossible for him to win her back.

Bryce knew the effect he had on women, but Sarah Walker wasn't the average woman. There was one thing she was, and it was loyal. She would never betray someone she cared about, and leaving for her ex would be the definition of betrayal. She would have to be extremely unhappy in her relationship for that to happen, so technically it was possible, just highly unlikely. He could try and talk to her new boyfriend and create a wedge between him and Sarah, but if that happened it would be demeaning everything he was trying to change about himself. No, he couldn't do that, he just had to hope that she loved him still, and that the new and improved him was enough for her.

Monday September 12th

Bryce showed up to Walker Corp half an hour early, extremely nervous to see Sarah again. Nerves was not something he usually had, but he wasn't usually trying to win back Sarah Walker. It was a new experience for him, feeling this vulnerable. He was going to lay it all on the line and hope that Sarah accepted what he said. It was his only option, because she would see through whatever bullshit he would normally try to spew. His only option was the truth.

He stepped out of the elevator onto the third floor, looking for Sarah's office. He took a right and walked down the hall towards an area filled with desks, and that's when he saw it. At one of the workstations, he saw the name Chuck Bartowski written on a nameplate attached to the desk.

"Holy shit." He whispered to himself. Chuck Bartowski, his college best friend, was working at Walker Corp. What were the odds? Bryce had made a lot of mistakes in his life, screwing up with Sarah being his second biggest. But what he did to his best friend Chuck was bar none the biggest mistake he had ever made.

He has never had anyone in his life like Chuck Bartowski, and probably never will. Chuck was like a brother to Bryce, and the person that he looked up to the most. So when Bryce slept with Jill when he was drunk, it was truly the worst thing he had ever done. He lost a brother that day, and it still haunted him.

Walker Corp was full of opportunities for Bryce Larkin. Not only could he fix his relationship with Sarah, he could possibly get his brother back. The odds were against him, but he knew that Chuck was a forgiving person, and maybe if he showed him how much he had changed, he would be forgiven. Just like with Sarah, it wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it.

Bryce just chuckled. Fate was funny sometimes. He was given an opportunity to fix the two biggest blunders he had ever made, and it was all thanks to Jack Walker. He finally made his way to Sarah's office, and sat on the couch inside, waiting for her to show up. About 20 minutes later, the door opened and he saw Sarah walk in, practically glowing. Not a good sign Bryce thought to himself, before locking eyes with her. Her glow immediately disappeared, as her face turned white as a ghost.

"Bryce…" She whispered, not believing what she saw.

"Hello Sarah."

Sorry about the evil cliffhanger. It was mean, I know. Wonder if anybody caught the subtle foreshadowing I made towards the next part of the story ;)