A/N: Well, now what?

I don't own Chuck

Earlier, Orion

"Hey, Dad," Chuck said, knocking on his father's door.

"Charles, come in," Stephen said, standing, a smile on his face. "It's good to see you. How was San Francisco?"

"Good," Chuck began, a smile on his face, thinking about Sarah. "You know what? No. It was great."

"That good, son, that's good," Stephen said, a smile on his face, and real warmth there. "So, why are you here?"

"Uh, well," Chuck began. He reached into his bag and pulled out the hard drive. "This," he said, thrusting it towards his father.

Stephen took it, and looked at it. "Why do you have this junk drive?" he asked, looking at it, seeing the name on the side.

"Because it was in one of your computers, with an Orion sticker covering the name," Chuck said. Stephen continued to stare at it, and Chuck saw him swallow. "Dad, I hate to say this, but… Teddy…"

"Leave him out of this, Charles," Stephen said quickly. "I'm sure this is a mix up."

"Dad, I've found junk drives in so many of your computers," Chuck told him. "This is the only one I checked-"

"Then this is all you know," Stephen pointed out.

"Dad, you don't just get this drive on accident," Chuck began again.

"Charles, let this go. It's under control," Stephen said.

"No, it's not," Chuck told him. He saw Stephen's eyes flash. "I'm the one out here, working on these things, and that's just in this area of California-"

"Charles!" Stephen snapped. "Let it go!"

"What is going on?" Chuck asked.

Stephen studied the drive for a second, turned and walked toward his desk. "It is none of your concern," Stephen told him, locking eyes with him. "You do not work here."

"It is your customers' concern," Chuck replied. Stephen's face went hard. "Dad, what the hell is going on? You obviously know something."

"Look, there may have been a… mistake…" Stephen began.

"Then fix it," Chuck told him.

"It's not that simple," Stephen said, frustration on his face. He looked up at Chuck, anger building in him. "I don't just turn my back on people!"

Chuck stood there. "You knew there were bad drives," he said softly. Stephen dropped his head. "You knew there were bad drives, and let them go out." Stephen refused to look at him. "How many shipments are we talking?"

"I don't know," Stephen said softly. "I don't know, and I thought if we could just replace them-"

"You sent crap out from a company that prides themselves in quality, Dad! Who the hell does that? What CEO does that, Dad?" Chuck glared at his father.

"One that protects his family," his father said, jumping up.

"No," Chuck said softly. "If you were protecting your family, you would have had a recall, made an apology, and made it right. This is about you protecting your ass, and your company. This is about YOU!"

"Well, if I don't protect me, it's very obvious that my family won't!" Stephen snapped.

"Oh?" Chuck asked. "I'm sure mom would love to hear that!" Stephen blanched. "Is every damn one of them bad, dad?"

"No!" Stephen snapped, and then ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I mean… I don't think so. It was one order."

"This wasn't an accident, was it?" Chuck accused.

"I'm taking care of it!" Stephen said. "Why don't you get the hell out! Get the hell out, go back to your new family! You know, the one that is hell-bent on getting me fired from the company I started!"

"Dad, no one is-"

"GET OUT!" Stephen roared. Chuck turned and left, his mind on autopilot as he headed to the one person he thought could help him.

}o{

Now

"Charlie," Jack said, gently, after Chuck told them the story.

"Okay," Emma said, cutting in. "Molly, I need you, for once in your life, to keep your mouth shut." Molly nodded. "Jack, I need you to get over what is about to happen." Jack opened his mouth, then shut it. He gave a slight nod, but did not look happy.

Emma turned to Chuck. "You, young man, are staying here tonight. And unless you want to talk about what happened, we will not. In any capacity." She looked at her family. "Is that understood?"

"Yes," the Burtons all said as one. Emma turned to Chuck. "Chuck?"

"Sorry, sounded like a family thing," Chuck replied. "Yes."

"It is a family thing, Chuck," Emma told him gently. Chuck's eyes moistened, and Emma pulled him into a hug.

"Is she mothering my boyfriend, or hitting on him?" Sarah asked Jack softly.

"She's welcoming her son," Jack told her. Sarah turned to her father, wide-eyed. "Oh, give me a break, Darlin'. We all see it. You are different around him, and there's a reason."

"There is," Sarah admitted.

"You don't have to do all of this for me," Chuck insisted. "I'm sorry, I've ruined your family dinner."

"CHARLES…" Emma began.

"Epp!" Chuck squeaked. Emma looked at Sarah and Jack.

"Irving," Jack offered. Sarah gave Jack a look. "What? It was on the papers for him to get paid."

"IRVING BARTOWSKI!" Emma continued.

"Welp, I got a brother," Molly groused.

"I still don't have a dog," Sarah reminded her.

"You are now, and forever will be, a part of this family," Emma told him.

"Did I just get married?" Chuck asked, looking around in total fear.

"Worse… mother-in-law approved," Jack told him.

"Don't you want to be married? To me?" Sarah asked him, a teasing look on her face.

"Save yourself," Jack mouthed.

"Yes?" Chuck answered. Jack gave him a look. "Yes." Jack nodded.

"Chuck," Emma said, getting his attention back. "Just accept it; you make Sarah happy, so you make us happy. Now… have you eaten?"

"I haven't," Chuck began. Jack turned and headed toward the kitchen.

"Let me," Sarah said, guiding him.

"Just go with it, it's easier," Molly warned him.

Jack brought a plate out, and set it down beside where Sarah was sitting. Sarah offered him a chair, and Molly sat down across from him, grinning. Emma and Jack took their places.

"Just help yourself," Sarah told him. "You know, like when you and I first met at your family dinner."

"That seems forever ago," Chuck admitted. "And like yesterday, all at the same time."

"Okay, I'm glad you two are together, but don't make me hurl at the dinner table," Molly said. Chuck nodded. He scooped some food onto his plate, and noticed everyone being silent.

"Please, continue whatever you were talking about," Chuck said, taking a drink of water.

"We were talking about you and Sarah just having casual sex, and a lot of it," Molly said sweetly. Chuck choked on his water, and nearly spit it everywhere.

"Molly," Emma said, admonishing her.

"Listen, if I'm going to be his sister-in-law…" Molly began.

"Can you slow things down?" Jack begged Molly. "The guy's been through hell today, and the last thing he needs is you harassing him."

"If I don't harass him, how will he know I love him?" Molly asked, batting her eyes at her father. Sarah snorted. "See? She gets it."

"It's fine, Jack, and it's partly my fault… I was in cahoots with Sarah on the plan to get back at Molly," Chuck admitted.

"You really okayed Sarah making it sound like she was using you and leading you on?" Jack asked. "And don't get me wrong, Charlie, I know a lot of guys would be fine with that… but you're not a lot of guys."

"No, he's not," Sarah said softly, looking at Chuck.

"How did it hurt me?" Chuck asked, shrugging. "Listen, I know you said not to mention business tonight, but I'm sorry." Jack pulled his chin back, confusion on his face. "I may have cost you a major client, and I feel terrible about it."

"Your father made that decision, not you, Chuck. I wouldn't worry about it," Sarah told him. Jack gave Sarah a look. "I'll just call Ellie."

"We four should have lunch tomorrow," Molly said, pointing at Sarah, and grinning. Chuck turned to her slowly, a look of horror on his face. "It's not like you have any computers to work on."

"Oh, shit, Zondra," Chuck muttered, shaking his head.

"Chuck, your mother handles all the replacements, remember?" Sarah said, putting her hand on his shoulder to calm him. "We will get this straightened out." She grinned at him. "Besides, if they won't do right by us, I'm sure Peter Stark would be glad to donate some computers to Zondra." Chuck's eyes went wide. "What? I don't play."

"No, I'm well aware that you don't," Chuck said softly.

"You know as much, or even half as much, about cars as you do computers?" Jack asked.

"Uh, no, sir, I don't think I do," Chuck admitted.

"It's okay, Charlie," Jack said, a grin on his face. Emma raised a brow at Jack. "Just trying to find something in common with my future son-in-law, that's all." Chuck nearly choked on his water, again.

}o{

"Maybe he and I should go back to his place," Sarah said to her mom, as Jack and Molly were giving Chuck a tour of the upstairs.

"I mean, you could, but his family knows he's there," Emma said with a shrug. Sarah nodded. "Maybe you should ask Ellie."

"C3PO," Sarah said.

"Yes, Mistress Sarah," the AI responded.

"Text Ellie and… you know what, never mind. Call Ellie."

"Very good, Mistress Sarah, calling now," C3PO replied.

"Ellie?" Sarah said, when Ellie answered the phone.

"Is he with you?" Ellie asked, worry in her voice.

"He is, he's here at my house," Sarah replied. "I was thinking of taking him back to his apartment-"

"No, don't!" Ellie said in a low but fierce voice. "Mom and Dad are fighting like crazy, but keep him there. And you guys are not fired."

"Well, I was right about that," Sarah said, chuckling. "Hey, Molly thought it would be good if the four of us got lunch tomorrow."

"That's a great idea. Tell Chuck the Mexican place… wait, do you like Mexican?"

"I love Mexican food," Sarah said. "Ellie, I need you to know something."

"You love my brother?" Ellie asked. Sarah could feel the smile in Ellie's voice. "Everyone knew that but you, Sweetie."

"He's amazing," Sarah said softly. There was silence on the other end for a moment. "Ellie?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking how much he needs you right now," Ellie said, sadness in her voice. "Dad accusing him of picking you over his family."

"He can't really believe that, can he?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah, he's all about loyalty, and what Chuck did, and threatened to do…" Ellie trailed off. "Dad thinks Chuck has turned on him. Dad thinks that Chuck Bartowski, the sweetest man in the freaking world, is trying to sabotage him, to help you."

"Chuck didn't buy and install defective hard drives," Sarah blurted out.

"No, he did not, and neither did Dad. But he knew, and did nothing," Ellie said. "I'll tell you more tomorrow, but it's a damn mess her. Mom and I are not letting you go, just so you know. And by the way, don't you dare get it in your head my father's right about this. We will straighten him out, I promise. I gotta go." And with that, Ellie hung up. Sarah had heard background noise getting closer, and she suspected it was Mary and Stephen's argument.

"Well?" Emma asked.

"You were right on all accounts," Sarah began.

"I owe you an apology," Emma said quickly. "I just assumed you wanted to be with him tonight. If I've made things… awkward…"

"There was no way it wasn't going to be awkward, with Chuck and Dad, mom," Sarah admitted, making Emma laugh.

"He likes him, a lot," Emma told Sarah.

"So do I," Sarah told Emma.

}o{

Chuck was sitting on the edge of Sarah's bed, thinking. Molly walked to the door, saw him, and grinned. "Performance anxiety?"

Chuck's shoulders began to shake with laughter as he looked up at her. "Thank you, I needed that," he told her. Molly came over and sat down beside him. "I'm just having trouble believing my dad thinks that I have abandoned him, that I am helping Sarah 'get him fired'."

"He doesn't really think that," Molly told him. Chuck blinked, and stared at Molly. "He's built that company from the ground up, right?" Chuck nodded. "He's great at making things, and over the years he became the head of it, when he really didn't know what he was doing."

"Yeah," Chuck said, nodding. "He sucks at business."

"Okay, so he's in over his head. The walls are closing in. He's in an industry in which saying your wrong isn't allowed, and he's scared to death. The guy who was making all the products he sold is gone, and now he's got defective equipment? He snapped. He's irrational, and he snapped."

"Holy shit, you do listen!" Chuck heard Sarah say as they both turned their heads to see her coming out of the bathroom.

"Please don't tell, Dad," Molly whined. "Then he'll make me do more than I already do."

"Why don't you want to be more, do more?" Sarah asked. "You're more than capable."

"Because I hate it," Molly admitted. "I hate doing what you guys do."

"I get that," Chuck said. Molly shoulder bumped him.

"Okay," Sarah said, nodding.

"Really?"

"Molly, I would be the world's biggest hypocrite if I said anything, or tried to get you to work a job you didn't want to," Sarah pointed out. "You're good, I promise." Molly stood and hugged her. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?" Molly asked.

"For always having my back. Though admittedly, some of your tactics left a lot to be desired…"

"Hey, I am who I am," Molly said with a shrug. "Now, please… try and keep it down tonight." With that, she grinned, and headed to the door.

"You will not hear a peep out of me," Sarah told her.

"First, I was talking to him," Molly said, making Chuck laugh again. "And second… I don't believe you, because I'm sure he knows exactly what he is doing." Sarah's eyes widened, as Molly shut the door.

"Well, she sure is subtle," Chuck muttered.

"As subtle as a flying brick," Sarah added. Chuck grinned at her. "She's right, you know." Chuck wasn't sure what she meant. "You do know exactly what you are doing."

"I don't know how to ask this, after that-" Chuck began.

She shook her head, quickly. "Tonight is about me cuddling the hell out of you."

"I'm good with that," Chuck told her. "Just one thing: In the morning, please don't attack me."

"Why would I attack you?" Sarah asked.

"Because you can't resist me," Chuck told her. She walked over to him, took his face in her hands, and kissed him. "See," he said.

"Come on, you need sleep. You have lunch with me, Molly and Ellie tomorrow."

"Who knew I'd miss Carina and Zondra," Chuck groused, falling back on the bed.

A/N: …..seriously? Finnnneeee

"You okay?"

Chuck held out his wrist to her. "You tell me, Doc."

She snorted at him. "I'm not that kind of doc." She did take his wrist and felt his pulse. "Slow and steady," she said.

"What about yours?" Chuck asked.

Sarah rolled her eyes and took her own. "Slow and steady," she told him.

"So what does that mean?" Chuck asked her.

"That while we're good at slow and steady, I'm okay picking up the pace," she told him, bouncing her eyebrows.

Come on back next time for more…whatever the hell this is. Reviews, PMs, or whatever, always appreciated.