A/N: First….33 reviews? What the what? Okay, thank you. Second, I never said they would meet in the Buy More. She needs to see him in his natural habitat. The Buy More is not his natural habitat.

A little over 16 months ago, I sat in Chicago and listened to Anthony Daniels talked about how his voice as C3PO annoyed him on his GPS at Star Wars Celebration. A thought was born.

A/N 2: Mom is home from the hospital, we are waiting on the biopsy on her lymph nodes. Thank you all that have reached out, prayed, and just been amazing to me over this time. The prognosis is excellent but cancer in a nasty bastard. Whoever had money on me writing to deal with this...two otp chapters and two chapters of this were written over the past three days...pay off whoever you owe on your bets. Seriously, you guys are the best, thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Huey Lewis and The News' The Power of Love began to play on the alarm clock, as Chuck opened his eyes. He glanced over at his clock, and sighed. He pulled back the covers and began his process of getting ready for work. Once completed, he walked out to the kitchen, grabbed a pop-tart, and headed out the door. He walked over to his car, a classic burnt orange 1978 Chevy Nova, and started it up.

He pulled out his phone, scrolled through Spotify, and connected it to his aftermarket radio. Finding the song he was looking for, he listened as the piano began. Taking a deep breath, he belted out, "Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen." He continued to sing 9 to 5 as he drove to work.

"See-Three-Pee-Oh," he said to his phone, "who's working the Nerd Herd desk today?" He clenched the steering wheel as he began the chant, "PleasedontbeJeffsterPleasedontbeJeffsterPleasedontbeJeffster."

"Jeffster," the voice of Anthony Daniels told him.

"Frak," Chuck muttered.

"What was that, Sir?"

"Nothing, you can power down," Chuck said with a grin.

"Very good, Sir." The phone went quiet. Chuck sighed, wondering if he was doing the right thing. While he was happier and enjoyed his job, working with actual people and having constant interaction, some of the people he worked with were enough to drive him insane.

He glanced at his phone, thinking about the personal assistant he had built for himself. He could always sell it to his father, but he didn't want to; it was one of a kind. Plus, there would be all sorts of licensing fees Orion Industries would have to pay to Lucasfilm, and Anthony Daniels.

"Incoming call, Sir, from Mr. Grimes," C3PO's voice told him.

"Put him through," Chuck said, praying this was a normal conversation. Knowing Morgan as he did, he was betting against it.

"Chuckster!" Morgan said. He knew that Chuckster. That was the, Listen, I'm about to do something monumentally stupid, and you really can't talk me out of it, but you should really try Chuckster.

"Morgan, why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be at work?" Chuck asked.

"Listen," he said, his voice dropping. "Jeff has challenged me to a round of mystery crisper." Chuck silently groaned… He was right. Monumentally stupid. This was going to end badly. At best, there would be a trip to the ER… at best.

"Morgan, don't," Chuck warned him. "You remember, last time you thought you were going to need your stomach pumped?"

"He's challenged me, Chuck! I have my pride!" Morgan insisted, sounding like he was hurt that Chuck would suggest he not take up the challenge.

"I know you do, buddy, but there's more important things than your pride," Chuck reminded him.

"Like what?" Morgan asked.

"Uh, your health? Your life?" Chuck offered.

"Pfffth," Morgan replied. "Besides, maybe Anna will take pity, and go out with me."

"That would be really hard if your dead," Chuck reminded him. "Listen, I'm ten minutes out. Don't do anything until I get there."

"Oh, that reminds me, it's your turn to get the donuts." And with that, Morgan hung up.

"Of course it's my turn," Chuck muttered. "It's always my turn."

}o{

Chuck walked in twenty minutes later, to find Anna walking Morgan out the door. Morgan's face matched the color of his shirt.

"I never can tell… did he win?"

"Yes," Anna said. "Don't use the men's room, Jeff is in there." Chuck winced. "I'm taking him to the hospital now, although, I'm not sure he can afford it." Anna gave him a pointed look.

"For the love of," Chuck muttered. He sat the donuts down on the Nerd Herd desk, smacking Lester's hand as he tried to reach for one. Pulling out his cellphone, he dialed a number.

"Hey, I need a favor." He heard the booming voice on the other end. "Mystery Crisper Challenge." He swore he heard his brother-in-law shudder. "Which entrance?" Chuck put his hand over the microphone. "The same place you took him last time," he said to Anna.

"You're the best, Chuckles," Anna said.

"Why are you calling me that?" he asked as she helped a moaning Morgan out the door. Anna shrugged. "Thanks, Awesome," he said back into the phone. "How are things?" He listened for a minute and laughed. "Sounds great. Do me a favor, keep this on the DL if you don't mind. I don't need Mom and Dad hounding me, but Morgan is broke." He paused, and looked toward the door through which Morgan had just departed. "An idiot, but a broke one, nonetheless. Thanks, buddy. Bye."

Chuck hung up, smacking Lester's hand that was again reaching for the donut box. Putting his cell phone in his pants pocket, he picked up the box of donuts, and headed to Big Mike's Office. As he walked away, he heard the Nerd Herd Desk phone ring. "Lester, answer the phone."

"Nerd Herd, this is your beacon of all things you've ever needed, and didn't even know you wanted, Lester speaking," Lester answered, trying to be smooth.

"I was told by Ellie to ask for the Nerd Herd Supervisor," the rich tones of a young lady replied. Lester sat straight up in the chair, licked his hand, and ran it through his hair.

"I get it," Lester said. "You want to make me jealous, so you ask for the inferior employee."

"No, I'm speaking to the inferior employee. I want someone that knows what they're doing," the reply came.

"I know what I'm doing," Lester replied. "I'm the one who has to fight ladies off with a stick. I am the one who breaks it off. Bartowski can't hang on to anything."

"Listen, you perv," came the voice.

"I'm not a perv," Lester retaliated.

"Either connect me with the Nerd Herd Supervisor, or HR, your choice," the woman said.

"Now, see here," Lester began.

"Listen you sick freak, if I have to come down there, and show you what kind of woman I am, it would break you and ruin you for all other girls for the rest of your life," the voice said. "And yes, I said girls, because no self-respecting woman would touch you with a ten-foot pole." Lester could swear he heard another woman's voice in the background, like someone was trying to get the phone. "I would devour you, spit you out, destroy you, and make you love every minute of it."

Lester's mouth dropped, and the phone was snatched out of his hand.

"Chuck Bartowski, Nerd Herd Supervisor," Chuck said. "Also, I would like to apologize for the man who answered; his last job was at a one-nine-hundred number sex line."

"She started it," Lester said, defending himself.

"GO!" Chuck mouthed, pointing toward another part of the store. He had no idea where, and didn't much care, so long as it was away from him. Lester pouted, and slouched away. Chuck brought the phone back to his ear and mouth. "Sorry… now, how may the Buy More Nerd Herd help you?"

"Well, aren't you a delicious tall drink of water," the voice said.

"How do you know I'm tall?" Chuck asked, looking around, suddenly concerned that someone was in the store watching him. He heard laughter.

"It's a saying," the reply came. Chuck winced at his uncommanded faulty leap of logic. "Listen, I was told by Ellie to contact you about our computer problems."

"Let me guess: You have an Orion computer?" Chuck asked.

"I do," chirped the voice on the other end. Chuck shut his eyes. He didn't know why – he had a good idea but didn't know why for sure – but Orion Industries had a contract with the Burbank Buy More to be an authorized repair center for their computers. Chuck was sure it had nothing to do with the fact he had basically built the model that was currently being sold.

"Okay, I'm going to need some information," he began. "Contact name?"

"Molly Burton," the woman answered. "But if you ask questions, I get to ask questions." Chuck blinked. "Are you as cute as you sound?"

"Highly unlikely," Chuck replied. "I sound adorable, and no one can be that adorable." He heard laughter on the other end.

"Are you flirting with me?" Molly asked.

"No ma'am, nononono," Chuck replied quickly.

"Calm down, Chuck," she said, laughing. "Now what else do you need from me."

Chuck swallowed. "I need an address," he said, his voice about an octave too high.

She gave him the address, and he quickly thanked her and hung up. She smiled as she hung up the phone.

"Jesus, Molly, can't you tone it down a notch? I'm supposed to be assessing the guy, not setting up the opening scene of a porn flick!" Sarah blew out a frustrated breath. She had tried to take the phone out of Molly's hands at least a half dozen times during the conversation.

"Calm down, Sar," Molly said, grinning. "His voice is just… mmmmm," she purred. Sarah rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling at her sister. Molly was more like Carina than Sarah, but the two had a bond that no one could break. Molly had insisted that she be the one to interact with Chuck, and Sarah watch on the video camera that recorded everything in the front room for security.

"Did she spook him?" Jack asked, as he walked by, winking at Molly.

"Nearly gave him a heart attack," Sarah told him. "I'll be shocked if he actually shows up to do the job."

"I won't," Jack told her. "I think you might learn a little something on this one, angel," he said, winking at her and heading toward his office.

"Shoo," Molly told Sarah. "I have to make myself presentable for your subject."

"He's not my subject," Sarah said, shaking her head. "Dad, does she have to work here?"

"YES!" Jack called out.

"I swear I wanted a dog, not a sister," Sarah muttered.

"Love you too, Sarah," Molly called after her.

}o{

About an hour later found Chuck grumbling to himself. He pulled out the motherboard and studied it. It certainly looked like the piece that was supposed to go in the computer. It felt like it, weighed the same, but this motherboard shouldn't have died this quick. He had lost count how many of these he'd had to replace. "It's dead," he muttered.

"What's that?" Molly asked, who was standing close by. His head jerked quickly up, startled by her. He hadn't meant to say anything out loud. "I'm sorry, you were muttering to yourself. Do you know what's wrong?"

"I do," Chuck replied, putting the defective component in his bag and pulling out a replacement. "How technical would you like my assessment?" He paused and studied her for a moment. "I don't mean that as an insult; it's just some people understand these things and some don't, and I find if I say it at a base level, people get offended because I think I'm smarter than them or something, and if I use the big words they think I'm showing off… and I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Molly laughed at him. "Let's go simplest possible terms."

"It's dead," he said. "I have a replacement piece here, which means your memory is shot, but it looks like you have an external back up…"

"We do," Molly said. "I'm not sure who the IT company is that installed it…" she trailed off.

"Deadpool Electronics," Jack said, leaning on the door frame. Chuck made a face before he could stop himself. "That face," he said, pointing at him. "That's the face I make each month I get their bill."

"You could probably hire an IT guy, buy the parts you need, and have that person around to repair things," Chuck said, "and it'd cost you less than what you're paying them." Jack nodded slowly.

"I'd need him… or her, to do more than that," Jack told him, taking a drink of his coffee. "I might be getting a new account with a big electronics corporation, and I'd need someone to translate some of the things they talk about into understandable language for me and my staff."

"That sounds… fun," Chuck admitted.

"I mean, he'd probably have to go out in the field some… or she," Jack quickly added.

"We've got an employee named Anna that would be great at that," Chuck began.

"And they'd have to understand Corporate America enough to not upset people," Jack continued.

"Scratch Anna," Chuck muttered, making Molly giggle. Chuck shrugged. "It's true."

"And, be good enough to do everything we need around here, but I don't know if I could pay someone what they'd be worth," Jack finished, looking at Chuck over his mug he was sipping out of.

"There's more to being happy than money," Chuck said with a shrug. He twisted another screw, and the computer booted back up. "So, here's the bad news: You're gonna have to call them to get everything back on your computer, or I would void your warranty. And you pay too much for that."

"I do," Jack said, nodding but not liking what he was hearing. "You like working at the Buy More, Charlie?"

Chuck didn't correct him; he found the name… endearing. "Kinda," he said. "I work with some… different, types of people."

"Don't we all," he said, giving Molly a look as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Chuck smiled at them. "I get to repair computers and work on them, which I'm good at, but I also get to be around people and not feel trapped. I'm out in the world, fixing people's issues with their computers, devices, what have you. Could I go do something else and make more money? Sure. Would I be as happy? I haven't been, in other jobs. I'll leave it at that."

"Takes going through some stuff, and having a real head on your shoulders, to know when what you have is pretty good," Jack told him.

"This isn't forever. At least, God, I hope it isn't." Molly laughed at that. "But… my last job, I felt… I don't know, like I could be so much more, but management was holding me back. Here, is it menial work? Yeah, but management isn't holding me back. I get to be with people, learn new things. Like here for instance, I didn't even know what a consulting company was, until I met Molly."

"And what is it that we do, Charlie?" Jack asked, grinning.

"Consult?" Chuck answered. Jack nearly spit out his coffee laughing. "You help people have companies that make their employees happy, which in turn increases productivity." He was silent for a second as he finished packing up. He handed a sheet to Molly. "If you'll sign that, I'll take care of everything else, no charge. This will be covered by Orion Industries." He looked over at Jack. "I wish every company had someone like you around. I wish every company put their employees first, and what made things easiest." He pressed his lips together, and bounced his eyebrows, a moment of melancholy settling over him. "You do good work, and you should be proud of it."

Jack watched him walk toward the door, a slow smile building on his face. "Hey, Charlie," Jack said. Chuck turned around. "You do, too. Maybe I'll give you a call, if I can get out of that contract."

"Good luck, those people are ruthless," Chuck said. "But, if you call, I'll listen." With that, Chuck walked through the door.

"I bet you do, kid, I bet you do," Jack said to himself. He went back into his office, and saw his daughter, sitting there, shaking her head. "Well, angel?"

"They're idiots," Sarah said, looking up at her father, making him laugh. "Did you see his face when you described that made up job?"

"Who said it was made up?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

}o{

Chuck returned to the Buy More, and noticed Anna sitting at the Nerd Herd desk. "Where's Jeff and Lester?"

"Jeff hurled year-old Jello all over the bathroom, so Lester took him to the ER," Anna told him. Chuck didn't say anything. He just kept watching her. "Fine, they're probably across the street at the bar, getting wasted."

Chuck thought for a second. "So, they won't be throwing up here?" Anna nodded. "Works for me," Chuck replied. He started toward Big Mike's office, remembered something she said, and backed up. "Someone has cleaned the bathroom, right?"

"Skip is in there now," Anna told him. Chuck shuddered, and headed toward Big Mike's office. He knocked on the door, and Big Mike waved him in. Chuck set the meatball marinara sub in front of Big Mike. He had stopped at Subway while he was out.

"But baby, I need your lovin'," he said into the phone, holding up one finger, motioning for Chuck to wait. Chuck looked around, disturbed. "I gotta have all your lovin'." Chuck slowly turned toward Big Mike, an eyebrow raised. Big Mike gave him a look, and Chuck pressed his lips shut. "I have to go, I have to go manage these unruly employees of mine." He grinned at the response. "Yeah, I show them exactly why I'm Big Mike. You like that?"

Chuck turned away, and dry heaved in his mouth. He hid it the best he could. Big Mike hung up, and Chuck turned back around. "You know this place is the home to all sorts of screw ups."

"Yep," Chuck agreed.

"So, when I tell you that these Orion Computers are freaking screwups, does that tell you how bad they are?" Big Mike asked. He picked up the sandwich and sniffed it from one end to the other. He suddenly looked at Chuck. "This is mine, right?"

"If it wasn't, it is now," Chuck replied. Big Mike began to unwrap his sandwich. "Since this is a really important-"

"Nope, not calling," Big Mike said, biting into his sandwich.

"Maybe it would be something Anna…" he trailed off, as Big Mike just glared at him, chewing slowly. "Yeah, even I couldn't complete that sentence." Chuck sighed. "Big Mike, you know why I'm here-"

"Bartowski, I do know why you're here… you know what, the hell if I know why you're here!" Chuck blew out a breath exasperated. "I've got idiots out there eating things in the fridge the CDC won't touch. I've got idiots out there that will only work on Mac computers."

"Some of those are the same idiots," Chuck pointed out. Big Mike glared at him. "Right, sorry."

"You had a cushy job, and you walked away from it to come here?!"

"I wasn't happy at-"

"YOU THINK I'M HAPPY!?" Big Mike bellowed. "Do I LOOK happy? Son, I manage a BUY MORE. I see stuff that makes you wake up in the middle of the night screaming. But the craziest thing I have ever seen is you leaving that job, and coming here."

"So, this is punishment," Chuck began.

"YOU DAMN RIGHT IT'S PUNISHMENT!" Chuck stood up. "Son, why?"

"Because there's more to life than money, Big Mike," Chuck replied.

"Like what?" Big Mike asked. Chuck had no reply, so he left. He walked back to the Nerd Herd desk, picked up the phone and offered it to Anna. She quickly took off, leaving him alone. Sighing, he dialed the number, and prayed this would go smoothly.

"Orion Industries Warranty Division, this is Emmett Millbarge, how may I help you?" he heard the voice on the other end say.

Chuck closed his eyes. It would be Emmett. "This is Chuck from the Burbank Buy More, calling in to be sent motherboards for replacements." Chuck gave him the PO number, and the number of motherboards needed.

"Well… Chuck, in the last fourteen days, that is twenty-two motherboards," Emmett told him. "Are you sure they're all unfixable?"

"I'm sure," Chuck replied.

"Well, I'm going to need you to send all of these in before I can send out new ones," Emmett began.

"Wait, that is not the policy," Chuck protested.

"As a Senior customer care specialist, it is within my right to demand these motherboards as proof," Emmett droned on.

"How long will that take?" Chuck asked, suddenly very tired.

"Let's see, I have all of your previous items on hold-"

"You do realize if I don't have the motherboards to fix your computers, then I'll have to tell them the problem is you?" Chuck asked.

"And I'll simply tell them that you are making assumptions about what's wrong with their computers," Emmett countered. "It's not like you know."

Chuck knew he shouldn't, but he did. "It is exactly like I know, since I designed the damn thing," Chuck muttered. There was silence on the other end, and Chuck shut his eyes. "Emmett?"

"Uh, did you say your name was Chuck, and you worked at the Burbank Buy More?" Emmett asked, fear in his voice.

"I did," Chuck replied, his free hand pressed against his face.

"Would that be… Chuck Bartowski?" Emmett asked, his voice going up an octave.

"It would," Chuck sighed.

"Hold on and I will transfer-"

"Please, please don't, Emmett," Chuck begged.

"Mr Bartowski… sir… it's protocol," Emmett explained, and then he heard hold music.

"Mary Bartowski," the voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hi… mom," Chuck said. "I need some motherboards."

"I had a feeling I'd be hearing from you," she said. He heard the humor in her voice, but he was too tired to care right now. "I'll get a rush out for all of those POs in the system, they should go out tonight."

"Thank you, Mom," Chuck said.

"You seeing anyone?" she asked. Chuck grinned.

"No… Is Hannah okay? I feel bad about-"

"Sweetie, she's fine. She still raves about you," his mother told him. "Now, I'm going to have to be firm on this. Sunday, I need you at dinner."

"I may have to work," Chuck told her.

"Okay," she said. "I'll talk to you soon." With that, she hung up. Chuck sighed, and then thought about what she just said. He raced to Big Mike's office, and threw open the door.

"Put me down for a double shift on Sunday," he said, but it was too late. Big Mike was on the phone.

"It is no problem, Mary, he will not work Sunday, and I'll make sure he's off by six on Saturday night, so he'll have plenty of time to get ready," Big Mike said sweetly, glaring at Chuck. "You too. Bye-bye," he said in a sing-song voice. He hung up the phone and looked at Chuck. "Tell me you didn't just try to use me to get out of having dinner with your family?"

"You'd have done the same thing," Chuck muttered, walking away.

"Damn straight I would," Big Mike said. "Now I'm upset and need a sandwich. He picked up the other half of his sub.

A/N: Jay1978 introduced us to an older Molly in Yogurt Girl, I used one in Casey & Walker, and this…this needed an older Molly. Two chapters, they haven't met. Who is writing this? Next time, dinner, with the Bartowskis. You don't think anyone else is coming to dinner….do you?