A/N: Now what is our hero gonna do? Something Chuck-like of course (I hope, if I wrote it right)

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Chuck entered Maison 23, and looked to the front desk. He smiled when he saw the person he was looking for. "Skip," Chuck said, walking up to the front desk.

"Hey, Chuck," Skip replied with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to rent a room, but I need you not to put through my credit card until I check out," Chuck told him. "It's really important."

"Chuck, we aren't supposed to do that," Skip said, looking around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.

Chuck was silent for a second, and then gave the computer in front of Skip a look. He heard Skip gulp, and looked back at him. "And you were supposed to look at those things you looked at on… that computer, that I fixed?" Chuck asked, his eyebrows raised. Skip was silent for a second. "Did you just have the Internet go out and now you can't use the machine?"

"I did," Skip told him. Skip completed the check-in, and Chuck headed upstairs to his room. Entering the room, he sat down his overnight bag, and began to rummage through his messenger bag. He pulled out a laptop and tablet. He sat down on the bed, the laptop in front of him, the tablet on one side, his phone on the other.

"C3PO," Chuck said. "I need you to find a Dr. Sarah Walker in the psychology field, and then find her dissertation."

"Gladly, Master Chuck," came the voice. "If I may ask, Sir, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see what Dr. Walker does, that is so interesting to my parents… my father specifically. Something is not adding up, and I was too pissed to stay at Castle and find out what," Chuck explained.

"Sir, your father has called twenty-two times, and sent thirty text messages. Should I reply to any of those?"

"Nope," Chuck said. "His days of knowing what I do and when I do it are over."

"Sir… he's your father," C3PO said.

"He is, and I love him," Chuck told his virtual assistant. "Don't get me wrong. But he has hurt me. I love him, and I will forgive him, but I need to do something for me. And that's what I'm doing."

"I don't understand, Sir. Dr. Walker is working for your family," C3PO responded.

"You are right, but the key word is for. That means she has something he needs, or wants, or thinks that can help him and his company. And I want to know what." Chuck sighed and sat back. "I don't want to see them fail, I want them to succeed. And if my leaving has caused problems there… well, I can't help but feel guilty."

"Are you saying you might work with Dr. Walker after all?"

"Maybe. I don't know. All I know is… she seems like a nice person," Chuck replied.

"Sir… you do remember that I felt your heart-rate when you were around her?"

"What are you saying?" Chuck asked, pretty sure he knew exactly what his creation was saying.

"There is a ninety-eight-point-six percent chance you are sexually attracted to her," the assistant chirped. "There is also a ninety-seven-point-five percent chance you are emotionally attracted to her."

Chuck blinked. "You can be emotionally attracted?"

"I have no idea, I was trying to lighten the moment with humor… did I succeed?"

Chuck was absolutely speechless. "Uh…"

"I take it by your lack of response, I was not. I will make a note and work on this program. I have found Dr. Walker's dissertation. Shall I send it to your tablet?"

"Please," Chuck said. A second later, it popped up, and Chuck began to read. He stopped once or twice, thinking about the things discussed in the paper. He occasionally checked on a word or two to make sure they meant what he thought they meant. Finally, he paused, trying to think how these theories and facts could be applied to Orion Industries.

"Sir, is everything okay?" his assistant asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Can you find out where Dr. Walker works?" Chuck asked, becoming more and more intrigued. He picked up the phone to check the battery life.

"Working now, Sir," the assistant replied. "Sir, have you figured out yet how her research fits in?"

"I have not," Chuck admitted, glancing back at the tablet. "I have some ideas, but I need to talk with her."

"On a purely professional level, of course," the assistant said. Chuck turned toward his phone, giving it a look. "Your hand is over my heart monitor," the assistant reminded him. Chuck got a sheepish look on his face.

"Hey, can you find the contract between Orion Industries and the Buy More Burbank?" Chuck asked, laying down the phone before it got him into any more trouble than it already had.

"The copy with Orion Industries might take a minute," C3PO said. "My word, that is the worst cybersecurity ever."

"Got it from the Buy More, didn't you?" Chuck asked, not surprised. He really needed to upgrade it before he left. And that's when it hit him: he was leaving. If what he thought was right, he was. "Hey, can you put in an order to have a Nerd Herder delivered here tomorrow by Big Mike, and make it look like it's part of the contract?"

"Sir, you really can be insulting sometimes with how little you think of me," the assistant said in an annoyed tone.

"I humbly apologize," Chuck replied, rolling his eyes. "Was there anything in the contract about me specifically working on Orion products?"

"There was not, on this copy of the contract," the assistant informed him.

Chuck nodded. "So, it could be with the other, or just a handshake agreement, or Anna could just be freaking lazy."

"Anna is lazy, Sir," C3PO weighed in.

"You're not wrong," Chuck muttered. He cleared his throat. "Anything on Dr. Walker?"

"Well, maybe," the droid admitted. "It seems the Walker family all works together." There was silence for a second. "You know them."

"I don't," Chuck said. "I'm pretty sure I'd never forget her."

"Sir, I'm referring to her sister and father," C3PO told him. "Molly and Jack."

"Molly and Jack?" Chuck said, trying to think of a Molly and Jack Walker. "I…" It hit him. "Oh, God. Do you have a picture?"

"I do, and the complete history of the company," C3PO said. "Sending both to your laptop now." The picture pulled up. Chuck winced. It was Jack and Molly Burton.

The people who had practically offered him a job the other day.

"What in the hell is going on?" Chuck muttered.

"Your falling in love with Sarah Walker," C3PO told him. Chuck stared at his phone, shocked. "Wait, was that one of those rhetorical questions? I always struggle with those. You humans and your emotions are hard to understand."

}o{

Sarah returned to the Bartowski house after Chuck left, making sure he had driven completely away before going back inside. She didn't want to get into the middle of a family dispute, because each side had a story. She paused before she opened the door to the house. That wasn't the real reason. If she was going to work for Orion, she wasn't sure she could be unbiased. She felt pain and hurt for Chuck Bartowski.

She wondered if she could even work for Orion Industries at that moment. She was feeling anger. She had always managed to keep her work and her personal feelings separate, but this time… this time, something was different. She looked down at her hand, the one that had shaken his. What had happened? What had been that feeling?

She shook her head, blowing out a breath. She didn't know if she had ever felt a touch that had done to her what Chuck's handshake had. It wasn't even intimate.

It wasn't like she hadn't dated, but it also wasn't like she had a ton of serious boyfriends… if any. Earning a doctorate in psychology in nine years, including the clinical hours, did not leave a lot of time for 'fun'. She had been a serious student, but she had enjoyed parties, and dating when the time allowed it. Having a serious relationship, able to commit to someone… that just hadn't been possible over the past several years. The one guy she had attempted to date seriously told her that she cared more about her research than she did him.

He was right.

Chuck Bartowski had stirred more emotions in her during a single meeting and talk by the pond than any of her boyfriends ever had. She shook her head, and walked back inside. "Is he okay?" Ellie asked, concern on her face.

"No, he is not," Sarah replied. She walked over and got her purse. She paused after she picked it up, and turned to Stephen. "I don't know what you thought you were doing for your son, but I can tell you he feels hurt, betrayed, and angry."

"I never meant," Stephen began.

"Stephen, shut up," Mary told him. "We told you that it was a terrible idea."

"If I may, what did you do, exactly?" Sarah asked.

Stephen glanced at his wife, who glared at him, and then back to Sarah. "I thought… I thought he was going through… a phase." Ellie groaned, and put her hands over her face.

"Not awesome," Devon muttered.

"I thought he wanted some independence. But he was giving up everything, and I didn't want him to get behind on the tech we were creating. Also… I trust Charles. If he said something was wrong with a product, it was," Stephen began. "But mostly… mostly, I wanted him to see if we fell behind. By him working on our products, he could see when the competition had passed us and he'd return from his… sabbatical."

"Mr. Bartowski, let me say this very clearly: It is not your son's responsibility to keep your company afloat," Sarah said, fighting to keep her face neutral.

"You're right," Stephen said, just above a whisper. "I don't know if I can do what he can do, to make this company what it has become."

"It was successful before he worked for you," Sarah pointed out.

"Not like it was after he joined," Stephen admitted.

"So, who cares?" Ellie said, making everyone turn toward her. "Dad, we were comfortable… this place…" she looked around and gestured. "Chuck calls it 'Castle' for a reason. Chuck hates this place, because it doesn't feel like a home."

"I'm not defending him," Mary said, cutting in. "But, Ellie and Chuck don't know how bad it was early on for us. How close we came to losing the company… our house." Ellie's eyes went wide. "We… we came close, a couple of times, to losing everything."

"I never wanted to go back," Stephen said, his eyes staring at the table. "I never wanted to go back to those days of wondering if tomorrow was it, and we had to start selling things off." He let out a sigh. "I'm scared."

Sarah nodded. She understood. She didn't like it at all, but she understood.

"Will you still work with us?" Stephen asked, lifting his head and holding her gaze. "And-and, before you answer that, you have to know what I said earlier, that was the truth. What I did was back when he quit. Since our talk the other day, I've done some real soul-searching. I was going to tell him everything."

Sarah stood there a second. "I don't know the answer to your question, because it's not my place to say. And that's the best honest answer I can give you."

"I appreciate that," Stephen told her. "Go and talk to your father, and let us know when you can." Stephen stood and walked over to her, extending his hand. "I've made some serious mistakes, and I am truly sorry."

"I know you are," Sarah replied, shaking his hand. Anyone could see Stephen really thought he was doing what he thought best at the time. "I'm not even saying we won't work together…" she trailed off as Stephen grinned at her.

"He has this way of getting to people," Stephen said knowingly. "He has a way of really touching people's heart." He was silent for a second. "I really screwed the pooch, not listening to him about being out there, promoting our company."

"He is not like any man I've ever met," Sarah admitted. She turned to Ellie. "I'll call you later this week?"

"If I don't call you first," Ellie said, a twinkle in her eye. Sarah bid them all goodbye, and then headed out the door. When she left, Ellie turned to Stephen. "You have to make this right. Hell, for all we know, he thinks mom and I are in on it with you!"

"This was all my doing," Stephen argued.

"I know that, and you know that, but does Chuck?" Ellie asked. Stephen grumbled as he went to get his phone. He made the call.

"It went straight to voice-mail," Stephen said.

"What did you expect, dear?" Mary asked, exasperated. "You might as well stop trying. He won't talk to you until he's ready."

"But he doesn't understand," Stephen protested. "I'll find him." Ellie snorted at that. "I can," he insisted. Mary and Ellie shared a look. "I can!"

}o{

Five hours later

"How the hell did he do this?" Stephen asked. Mary put her hand on Stephen's shoulder and squeezed. "He's so good at what he does, Mary. He's so good."

"He might be, but he wants to do other things, dear." Stephen nodded, disappointment on his face. "I know you wanted him to work with you."

"Oh, I do, but… it's not that," he replied. "I put the family… or what I perceived as the family's, best interests in front of my own son. I forgot his value, somewhere during all of this." He put his hand on top of Mary's, on his shoulder. "I messed up."

Mary kissed the top of his head. "You're human, dear. It happens."

"I'm his father. I'm supposed to protect him, not be the source of his issues," Stephen argued.

"Well, do better," Mary said with a shrug. Stephen looked over his shoulder at her. "That's all you can do."

"I can find him," Stephen said.

Mary chuckled, and patted his shoulder. "No, you can't," she said, walking off.

"No, I can't," Stephen agreed.

}o{

Chuck was sitting on a bench, watching two Nerd Herders pull up in front of Maison 23. Morgan got out of one, and walked over to Chuck. "Hey, buddy, everything alright? Mr. B called last night, looking for you."

"Yeah," Chuck said. "Big Mike in the other car?"

"Yeah, he wouldn't let me ride with my Anna Banana, and it hurt man. It really, really hurt."

"I know, Buddy, I know. But just think, all three of you get to ride back together," Chuck reminded him.

"I'll be in the backseat," Morgan pointed out. Chuck pressed his lips together and blew out his cheeks. "Uh-oh, here he comes. I'm going to go get in the car now."

Big Mike came over, a scowl on his face. "Bartowski, I could have sworn you didn't have this week off." Chuck just sat there, not saying a word. "But, if I put it on the schedule that way, then I must have, right?"

"Must have," Chuck replied.

"Then why do I also have you getting a Herder today?" Big Mike asked.

"Probably something to do with the deal you made with my father about me working on all Orion products," Chuck said with a shrug.

Mike was silent a moment, looked around, and took Chuck by the elbow, leading him inside. There was a restaurant off to the side of the hotel, and he led Chuck into it. They had a seat. They sat there for a second when Chuck started to speak. Big Mike held up a finger for him to hold on. The waitress came over, and Big Mike ordered the large breakfast.

"Need a snack while I tell you this," Big Mike told him. "So, you figured it out."

"That's why you've been riding me," Chuck said. Big Mike nodded. "You wanted me to go back."

"No," Big Mike told him. "I wanted you to be your own man." Chuck sat back, stunned. "Sure, I love the contract, but son… it was dirty, what he did to you."

"It was," Chuck agreed. "But why didn't you tell me?"

"Son… it wasn't my place to tell you," Big Mike began.

"He threaten you?" Chuck asked.

"Threaten me?" Big Mike replied, his eyes wide, like Chuck had said the stupidest thing in the world. "Me?"

"My bad," Chuck said, confused.

"Son, when you came in, you were so happy, you wouldn't have cared what your father did. You had gotten away from Orion Industries, and you thought you were free and happy." Big Mike paused. "You work in the damn Buy More,Chuck! Why the hell are you happy?"

"Because it was better than where I was," Chuck replied.

"Exactly, but now that you found out what the Buy More really is, all this time later?"

"I realized that while it was better for me, it's not… it, for me," Chuck said, getting it.

"I was telling you this week. I'm just glad you figured it out." The waitress showed up with Big Mike's food, which consisted of three plates. "Skimping on the bacon today, I see," he grumbled after the waitress walked away. "Skip told me about this place. I stop by here every once in a while, to see my lady."

"I don't need to know," Chuck told him.

"It's good to have friends like Skip," Big Mike continued.

"I am never coming back here again," Chuck muttered.

"Good, I don't need to run into you in the lobby while I'm on my rendezvous with the Lady Tang," Big Mike continued, digging into his food. Chuck sat there a second, watching in horror and fascination.

"You know what, I'm gonna go," he said, starting to slide out of the booth.

"Should I consider your two-weeks' notice to be filed?" Big Mike asked.

"Can I call you this afternoon?" Chuck countered. Big Mike nodded, and Chuck got up.

"Bartowski, I admire your gumption," Big Mike said. "You're a damn fool to leave all that money, but I admire your gumption." Chuck smiled as he walked out the door.

}o{

Chuck put his hand on the door to open it, pausing for the third time. He didn't get it, why was he so worried? Why did he care so much? He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind.

"Master Chuck, are you okay?" his assistant asked. Chuck pulled his earbuds out of his pocket, plugged them into his phone, and put them into his ear. He didn't need anyone walking by thinking he was having a conversation with his phone.

"Just worried," Chuck said.

"About what, Master Chuck?"

"I'm worried how much Sarah knew," Chuck admitted. "I'm worried that she's a part of all of this, and I'm about to walk into one of my father's traps."

He blew out a frustrated breath. "That's not fair to my father. He's not evil, and I'm making him sound like a big bad."

"I may be wrong, though I highly doubt it," the voice began.

"I really need to work on your programmed humility," Chuck muttered.

"But," the voice continued, ignoring him. "Aren't the best villains the ones who think they're the heroes?"

"They are," Chuck admitted. "But even at its worst, he's not mistreating me. He just doesn't see my point of view."

"Doesn't change how you feel," the assistant pointed out. Chuck had to agree with his phone on that one. "As for Miss Walker, all I have is her voice, and the evidence of her work." C3PO paused.

"Go on," Chuck urged.

"She has followed every step of approved data collecting along the way of her dissertation. In fact, she went to great pains to document it more than was necessary. She also suggested to you that you not work together."

"So, she's not in on it?" Chuck asked, feeling joy running through him and a smile beginning to cover his face.

"That is one possibility," C3PO said.

Chuck caught the words used. The feeling of joy he had left quickly. "Are there others?"

"There are," C3PO admitted. There was a pregnant pause between them, so pregnant Chuck thought his anxiety would give birth right there on the sidewalk. "Should I tell you the other?"

"For the love of all that is holy, yes!" Chuck hissed.

"You don't have to be so uptight about it," the voice chastised. Chuck let out an exasperated breath. "The other possibility is that she is a master manipulator. By over documenting things and by her telling you it might be best for you not to be a part of the project, she has created a cover in which she can let you come to a decision on your own. If she has studied you, she has mostly likely come to the same conclusion I have."

"And that is?" Chuck asked.

"There is a ninety-three-point-six-percent chance you will work with her on the project," C3PO told him.

"How will I know if she's being honest, or if she's manipulating me?" Chuck asked.

"Without her holding me when she answers a direct question, you cannot," C3PO told him. "All you can do is trust your instincts, which are quite fallible, in humans."

"You're just a delightful joy, C3PO," Chuck muttered.

"Thank you, Sir, I do try," C3PO replied. There was silence a second. "That was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

"Nooooo," Chuck replied, disconnecting his earbuds.

"I will never understand you humans," C3PO said, as Chuck pushed open the door to Burton Consultants.

A/N: Oh my. OH MY. I wonder what will happen. I wonder if Chuck and Sarah will talk. What do you mean I should know? Oh, would you like a preview?

"So, people with this personality type are warm, forthright types who love helping others."

"I'm warm?" he asked, grinning at her.

"I'm about to get sunstroke," she blurted out.

*Turns to the camera and smiles* It's me, you knew this was coming.