A/N: Hey, I've had a week. I have a face for radio, yet I'm out here recording things left and right for my students. This has been…challenging to say the least, and I know I've gone quiet a couple of time, and I apologize, but there are nights I am just dead tired. I'll shut up now, you are here for these two crazy kids, not my whining. Just Two People, Ch 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

She looked at the schedule in front of her. She was scheduled to speak to two more groups, and helping Zondra moderate two others. Sarah grinned; she knew the real reason Zondra wanted her at this conference. If she wasn't here, Carina would help Zondra moderate. They loved Carina, they really did, but she could be a lot… especially in a professional setting.

That being said, no one knew their stuff like Carina did. Her talks on misogyny in the workplace and the current climate was her specialty. What really threw men was her flirtations. She and Molly could wreck men in a minute, between the two of them. Sarah snorted, thinking about the last time the four of them were together.

"Amy is here," she heard a voice say softly behind her.

"I really don't care," Sarah replied, looking up at her redheaded friend. She offered Carina the seat beside her, and the taller woman sat. "That was so long ago."

"You know he cheated on her, right?" Carina asked.

"Wait, what?" Sarah said, sitting up, grinning, even though she knew that she shouldn't.

"Yeah, they got married. She got pregnant, and he cheated on her," Carina said with a shrug.

"That's horrible," Sarah said, a pained look on her face. She had no idea they were still together.

"We didn't tell you, because we knew you'd do something nice for her, and she doesn't deserve it," Carina told Sarah. Sarah gave her a look. "Oh, don't give me that! You know how you were in high school… lanky, flat-chested, braces. And then you tried to cut your own hair…" Carina shook her head.

"I got tired of how all the beauticians pulled on it," Sarah said by way of defense. "It wasn't that bad." Carina gave her a look. "It wasn't!" she insisted.

Carina grinned, and shook her head. "Anyway, look at you now." Sarah ducked her head. "Girl, you are goooorgeous!"

"Stop it," Sarah said, softly.

"And you're practically glowing… did you get laid?"

"I swear to God, you and Molly are absolutely the same," Sarah groused. Carina laughed. "I am seeing someone."

Carina blinked. "Are you serious?" Sarah nodded. "Well, have you told him you're here yet?" she asked, amused.

"I actually asked him his opinion about me coming here, before I agreed to present," Sarah admitted, unable to look Carina in the eyes.

Carina was absolutely speechless. She opened her mouth several times to say something, or ask a question, but each time, she failed. In all the years she had known Sarah Walker, the only person Sarah consulted when it came to her career… was Sarah Walker. Who was this guy?

"You okay?" Sarah asked.

"I think I've lost my damn mind, or hearing things," Carina said, making Sarah look away, chuckling. "Did you just say you actually asked a guy what he thought about you presenting at a conference?"

"I did," Sarah confirmed.

"So, what did he say?" Carina asked.

"Well, I'm here, aren't?"

Carina was silent for a second, and then reached over and took Sarah's hand. "Sweetie, we both know he could have told you it was the worst idea ever, and you would have done it, anyway."

Sarah nodded and sighed. Carina was right, and it wasn't her being catty, or mean; it was just the truth. "Not with him," she admitted, looking up at Carina. "I mean… I had to talk to him, make sure he knew why I was going, why it was important to me, and it was important that he understood."

"Holy shit," Carina breathed. "Holy. Shit." Carina shook her head as if trying to clear a fog. "Blondie…"

"He's a really great guy. He's a nice guy, and I like him, a lot," Sarah replied, shrugging. "And he's been through some stuff, so I didn't want him… I didn't want him thinking he wasn't important to me."

"So, you're telling me you're more invested in this guy than you ever were Barry?" Carina asked. Sarah winced a little, and then nodded. "Okay." Carina took a deep breath. "Tell me about him." Sarah smiled, and began to tell Carina all about Chuck.

}o{

Zondra and Carina were in the back of the room, watching Sarah mesmerize the crowd like she always did when she talked about people, personalities, and jobs. It was apparent from her animation how excited she was. Carina leaned over to Zondra. "What do we know about Chuckles?"

"Molly gives him the okay," Zondra replied. Carina twisted her lips. "They sound…"

"Serious?" Carina asked.

"Maybe," Zondra admitted. "But it's not how long they've been together, so much as it's…." She searched for the word, turning to Carina.

"She's all in," Carina said. Zondra nodded. "You know he's a computer consultant, just starting out."

"I know, I've heard all about it," Zondra told Carina. Carina looked past Zondra to the guy they had hired from the local Buy More to run their technology during the conference. Zondra followed her gaze, and turned back to Carina. "Fine, I went cheap," she said, shrugging. "Sue me."

"How about we upgrade?" Carina asked, grinning.

}o{

Later that night found three of the four members of the CAT squad at a club. Most of the younger people at the conference were there. Sarah was sitting at their table, alone, texting Chuck. She had been dancing, but she missed him, and wanted to talk to him.

"Wow, did I mess up letting you go," came a familiar voice. Sarah looked up to find Barry. "You look amazing, and your presentation… I loved it. I really did."

"Funny, seems like you told me that no one cared about, and I do believe the exact words you used were, 'that crap,'" she said, making him wince, "but me."

"I was immature and hurt," Barry said. "I'm really sorry about how I acted." There was sincerity in his voice. "Sarah… Sarah, I was jealous of how much you loved what you did. I just wanted you to care about me that much."

"Barry," Sarah began. "Please take this as I'm saying it, and don't make it anything more than that, okay?" Barry nodded. "It really wasn't your fault. You did everything you could. I just wasn't into you." He winced again. "I'm sorry, but… have a seat."

He sat down beside her. "Listen," she continued, "I get it, we had fun, we had laughs, and just a good time. But that… spark, it just wasn't there for me." He nodded sadly. "As much as I studied humans and working conditions, and who they are, I didn't understand relationships." She sighed. "I wasted a lot of your time, because I thought that was how relationships were. And I owe you an apology for that."

Barry was silent for a second. "I don't guess I lost you, because you were never really mine, were you?" Sarah shook her head. "I hope you find someone. I really do."

"Thank you," Sarah said. Barry nodded, got up, and walked away.

"You okay?" she heard Zondra say, concern on her face.

"Oh, I am great!" Sarah replied. "You know what, I'm gonna head back to the hotel. We can do this tomorrow night, right?"

"Yeah," Zondra replied. "You sure?" Sarah nodded, stood, gave her a quick hug and left. Zondra watched her go.

"Well?" Carina said, stirring her drink.

"I think we need an upgrade in the technology department," Zondra replied.

}o{

"Hey," Chuck said a little while later, answering the facetime. "How are you, pretty lady?"

"I am good, really good," she told him, the smile on her face warming him as he watched her. "The conference is going great, and I'm with my friends."

"Wait, you didn't leave your friends to call me, did you?" Sarah twisted her lips. "Wow, that sounds like a serious problem, that you'd bail on your friends to talk to little 'ole me."

"That's actually why I called," Sarah said, a bit shyly. "I ran into someone tonight. Barry." Chuck thought for a moment, knowing he had heard the name, but not placing it. "My ex-boyfriend."

"Oh," Chuck replied. He tried not to, but his mind went to a very bad place. Her smiling like that, calling him after seeing Barry. Was it over between them before it really started?

"How is Barry?"

"Didn't ask," Sarah replied. "I realized something, but before I go on… that look on your face…"

"What look?" Chuck asked. Sarah gave him a flat look. "That's just my face, it always looks like that."

"Chuck." She paused. "Okay, new rule in this relationship." He felt the corners of his lips turn up in the beginnings of a smile, when she said relationship. "No secrets, no lies."

"Why would you think I'm…" He trailed off, as she tilted her head to the side. "Okay, fine." He let out a huff. "And-and, it's not you Sarah, it's just… God." He ran his hand through his hair.

"Chuck… baby," she said. His expression changed quickly, to one of shock, surprise, and a lot of happiness. "I get insecurity."

"I just feel lately I've been…" He trailed off.

"Used, and when someone got out of you what they wanted, they discarded you?" Chuck grimaced. "Hannah do that to you?"

"Hannah? God, no!" he said quickly. "That was more… we just weren't right. I don't know how to explain it."

"Oh, I get it. That's why I called you," Sarah began. "And no thinking what you almost thought, there." Chuck pressed his lips together. "Chuck, I realized something, with Barry right in front of me tonight. I didn't feel one thing for him. Not one."

Chuck found himself trying to grin, but fought it off. No one likes a disrespectful, arrogant person.

"I realized I feel more for you, in what time I've known you, than the almost nine months-"

"Wait," Chuck said, shaking his head. "Nine months? You dated that dude for nine months?"

She shrugged. "He was pretty… and convenient, and I liked him, just…" she trailed off, as Chuck began to laugh. "What?"

"I'm laughing at me," Chuck clarified. Sarah tilted her head, an amused smile on her face. "I was straight-up worried, when this conversation began, that you were about to tell me you were dumping me for him."

"Quit being stupid," Sarah said, making him laugh. "I miss you, Chuck."

"I miss you, Sarah," Chuck replied. "But we'll see each other in a few days, right?"

"Yeah, just five more," she replied, huffing. "God, you have your damn nerve." Chuck blinked, confused. "Before, going to one of these was the highlight of my week, my month. Now… now I can't wait to see you."

"You know, the day might come that I have to go to one of those for tech reasons," Chuck said, grinning.

"Maybe next time I go, I'll bring my boyfriend with me," she said, with a shrug and a bit of a smirk.

Chuck pointed to himself with a questioning look on his face.

"Mmmhmm," she said. Her face turned to a pout, and Chuck was ready to move mountains to fix whatever was wrong. "I'm sorry, I'm just so exhausted. While I love what I do, all these energy-suckers took this introvert's energy today, and I really just need to unwind."

"Two things," Chuck began. "If I was around, and could rub your shoulders or your feet… would that suck your energy?"

"God, no," she said, nearly moaning at the thought.

"Down, girl," he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Number two: Maybe you need to go reverse-vampire." She gave him a confused look. "You know, eat some garlic, and keep people away from you."

She didn't say anything for a moment. "Goodnight," she said, and then she started to laugh.

"Goodnight, Sarah. I miss you."

"Miss you, Chuck… baby."

"You know, you can call me that anytime you want," Chuck told her.

"I wish you were here," she admitted.

"To rub your feet and back… I get it," he teased.

"That too," she said, as she winked at him. His eyes widened. "Goodnight." With that, she disconnected the call.

"I wonder if she wants me to rub anything else?" he asked out loud. He shook his head. "Bad Chuck! Bad!"

}o{

He was puttering around his apartment, his thoughts interrupting him as he tried to work. Finally, he gave up. He needed to finish building computers. But Sarah, and what she had said to him… those words wouldn't leave him. He was important to her. He meant more to her than a boyfriend she'd had for a significant period of time… or was it really a significant period of time?

Yes, they had been together for nine months. But were they together? Or just in the same room, occupying the same nearby spaces? Was Sarah really there with him, or was she somewhere else mentally?

"This is what happens when you start dating a smart person: your brain tries to over-analyze things," he muttered to himself. His cell phone rang, and he went over to answer it. "Molly?" he asked, seeing who it was.

"Hey, I need a favor," Molly began. "And no, nothing like that, this a for-real, I need an IT expert favor."

"Okay," Chuck replied.

Molly was silent for a moment waiting for his terms. "That's it?" she asked.

"What's it?" Chuck replied. "You haven't told me what you need me to do?"

"I have a friend in San Francisco, putting on a conference, and the IT guy she was using… Chuck… he was a Buy More guy."

"Oh, God," Chuck groused. "How bad?"

"I have no idea, my friend just called me, telling me her problem, and I told her I knew a guy," Molly explained. "Listen, I can have you on an 8:30 flight, that puts you there around 10-ish."

"I haven't even packed," Chuck said.

Molly told him how much he would make.

"I can pack quickly." Molly laughed. "Is it okay, to hand out business cards?"

"Sure," Molly replied.

"Great," Chuck said. "If only I had some." Molly laughed at him. "Oh, what about Sarah?"

"Listen, you go pack, and I'll call her-"

"She's in bed," Chuck told Molly. "At least, that's what she told me…" he trailed off. He hated this about himself. "You know what, she says she is, so she is."

"Chuck," Molly said softly. "These things, while she loves them, they absolutely drain her. And that's no joke. She crashes. She may not be asleep, but she is probably lying in bed, reading a book, watching a movie or something."

"Okay," Chuck replied. "I'm gonna pack."

"Okay, get to San Francisco, and I'll tell her you'll call her tomorrow night, okay?"

"Molly… this is legit, right?" Chuck asked.

"Chuck, it's legit. You're getting paid, and I promise you, this will help you in the long run," Molly insisted.

"Okay, goodnight," Chuck told her. "And, Molly… thanks, I need a win with this business. I don't want everything I do to be Burton-related."

"Buddy, we both know for a while all you're gonna do is Burton-related," Molly told him, giggling.

Chuck thought about that for a second, and before it dawned on him, he heard the dial tone where Molly had hung up. "That was bad," he muttered to himself. "How am I supposed to sleep between what the two of them said?"

}o{

The next morning found Chuck walking up the jetway from his plane, and making his way to baggage claim in San Francisco. He grabbed his check bag, and headed toward the pick-up area. He had been told to look for a woman holding a sign saying Bartowski. He was not, however, warned that she would look like a Swedish supermodel.

"Chuck?" she asked as he walked up to her.

"That's me," Chuck replied.

"No offense, curls, but I've been hit on by five men already, claiming to be Chuck Bartowski," the woman told him.

"I always thought I was one of those people who had nothing to worry about, as far as my identity being stolen. I assumed no one would want to be me, but it appears I was wrong," he said, pressing his lips together and puffing out his cheeks. The woman laughed, as he put down his suitcase and pulled out his wallet. He showed her his driver's license.

"Carina Miller," she told him. "Need any help?"

"No thank you," he replied, replacing his wallet in his pocket and grabbing his bags. "I've got it."

"Follow me," she said, leading them to an SUV. Chuck loaded his bags into the vehicle, climbed in, and they took off. "First time in San Francisco?"

"Yeah," Chuck replied. "How about you?"

"Been here a few times, but most of the time it's get in, do the conference, and get out," Carina told him. "Most of the time if I get a chance to do anything it's at night, and I go out dancing."

"What do you do at these conferences?" Chuck asked, watching the scenery go by.

"I do presentations, and help my friend run the conference," Carina told him. "I talk about misogyny in the workplace, the me too movement, and just general HR practices that have to be followed today, and not ignored with a wink or a nudge."

Chuck was silent for a moment. "Out of curiosity, how many men go to your seminar?"

"Not many," Carina admitted. "Probably less than twenty-five percent."

"Do they listen?" Chuck asked. She gave him a look, and saw the curiosity on his face.

"Eh," she said. "They listen, but you can tell they're thinking That doesn't happen here."

"Is that frustrating? Because I would have to believe that it is."

Carina was silent a moment. "We've offered the tools, we've literally created a program to help them with their business and what not to do, and they refuse to listen." She shrugged. "If they get in trouble, guess who gets a little petty, and happy about it."

"Serves them right," Chuck told her.

"You're a different kind of guy, Chuckles," Carina said. "Want to go dancing with me tonight? Don't worry, I'm not a man-hater… in fact, some would say I'm a man lover."

Chuck cleared his throat. "Aren't you violating your own policies by asking me?" Carina blinked, and Chuck began to laugh. "Sorry, I have a girlfriend."

"For the record, I am not, but, well done," she said, grinning at him. "She wouldn't know if you did. Besides, it's just dancing."

"I would know," Chuck told her.

"Nice," Carina said softly. Chuck glanced at her, confused, as she drove on.

}o{

Chuck followed Carina through the convention center, and they entered a small room. "Okay, this is the heart of the operation," Carina told him. "Z!" she yelled. A dark-haired woman turned, and walked toward them. The look on her face was one of a woman on a mission.

"Hi, I'm Chuck," he said offering her his hand. "Thank you for this opportunity."

"Zondra Rizzo, don't call me 'Z'," she said, glaring at Carina. Carina smirked. "We've got a few minutes." She pulled out a card in a small card holder. "On there is your room number. Why don't you take your stuff up to your room, freshen up, and come on back here. Everyone is on a break, so you don't have to rush."

Chuck nodded, headed upstairs, opened the door to his room, and dropped his bags. He straightened as he heard a knock on his door. Walking over, he opened the door, and his jaw dropped.

"Hi," the woman said, digging in her purse, looking into its depths, and not at him. "I normally don't come to someone's room, but I present next and I'm freaking out a little about not being prepared. I mean, I'm prepared, but you don't have… the…" She stopped talking as she looked up at him.

"Chuck? What are you doing in San Francisco?" Sarah asked. "Why are you at my conference?"

A/N: Chuck…dude…*shakes head* Want a sneaky peaky?

"When Chuck and I get…" she trailed off as she watched Chuck's eyebrows climb up his forehead. "Physical." He made a choking sound. "I'm going to need you not to record any of that."

"Understood Mistress Sarah," C3PO said. "Is that limited to coitus or would you like it to be expanded to osculation?"

Chuck blinked several times, not sure if he should say anything, or just stand there. "Chuck?" Sarah asked.

"Not sure what osculation means," Chuck admitted.

Come back next time to find out what osculation means…or use The Google. See you soon. Reviews, PMs, yada-yada.