A/N: I'm sorry, I've had this back from beta for two days (CALM DOWN!) and I meant to start 21 enough to give you a preview, but work has gone nuclear (it always does this time of year) So no preview, but I wanted to get this out. The fallout from what everyone learned about Stephen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

A few hours later, Molly walked into Sarah's office. "It's the post," Molly said in a posh British accent. Sarah nodded, staring off into space, tapping a pen against her lip. Molly rolled her eyes. "C3PO, call Chuck."

"You can't do that," Sarah said, her eyes widening.

"I'm sorry Mistress Sarah, but I do believe Mistress Molly is correct," C3PO chirped. "You have been moody, on edge, and agitated since you returned from lunch with Master Chuck and Mistress Ellie."

"Mistress Molly, huh?" Molly said. "Sounds… dirty."

"Jesus," Sarah replied, making an eww face.

"Calling Master Chuck," C3PO said.

"Wait," she said to C3PO. "Get back here," she said to Molly who was leaving. "Don't call-"

"Hello?" Chuck answered.

"Hi," Sarah said, shooting daggers at Molly with her eyes. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, are you?" Chuck asked. She could hear humor in his tone.

"I'm fine-" she began.

"She is most assuredly not fine," C3PO cut in.

"WILL YOU KNOCK IT OFF!" Sarah yelled.

"Powering down," C3PO said.

"Wow," Chuck breathed. "That was sort of hot."

"You're just plain hot," Sarah retorted. There was silence for a moment. Oh, God, did she break him? "Chuck?"

"Hmmm?" he happily hummed. "Just ignore me, I'm over here basking in the fact my girlfriend finds me hot." She began to giggle. "Okay, so what's up? Why are you not okay?"

She blew out a breath. "It was earlier," Sarah admitted. "I worried I got too clinical, too… me."

"Sarah, what you did was out of the goodness of your heart, and no, I don't think you were too clinical. Were you factual? Yes. Mean-spirited? Absolutely not."

"I know it was a lot to absorb," Sarah said. "How are you handling it?"

"Other than I did just about everything in the worst possible manner?" Chuck asked. "Just super."

"Chuuuccckkk," Sarah said.

"Fine, I'm beating myself up," Chuck began.

"I'm on my way over," Sarah said, standing.

"No," Chuck said quickly. "Wait, that came out wrong."

"How did it come out wrong? It was only one word," Sarah pointed out.

"Would it be okay, if I took tonight to just…"

"Process?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Chuck replied. "That's exactly it."

"Yeah," she said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. "I mean, I get it, when I need to process I need alone time and-"

"Stop," Chuck said. "You're spiraling, and that's sort of my thing." Sarah chuckled. "What I'm asking is for you not to be here, so you aren't my crutch in all of this. My dad has it in his head that you're trying to… well, I don't know what in the hell is in his head, but it's wrong. Gah! What I'm saying is, I need to think, have my thoughts, without you here, and if you're here, I'm gonna take the easy way out, one of two ways."

"I'm listening," she said, encouragingly.

"One, I'm gonna take a shortcut and just ask you to tell me what to think, and that's not fair to either of us," Chuck began. He paused.

"And the other?"

There was a very pregnant pause, so pregnant, in fact, that when he spoke he dropped a fourteen-pound bouncing baby boy. "I'm gonna let myself be distracted by you." His voice… his tone… left no question what he meant.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come over?" she asked.

"Am I sure? Hell no," Chuck replied. "God, Sarah, I know this is too quick, but I love waking up next to you. I love you being in my life, and it's taking everything in me not to ask you to move in."

"It's taking everything in me not to," Sarah told him.

"That's not helping," Chuck replied.

"Are you sure it's not helping?"

"Not the way I'm trying to be," Chuck answered.

"And what way is that?" Sarah asked. She hurried on before he could answer. "Hell, why is that? I'm serious. Why are we doing what we think we should, or what others think we should? Why aren't we moving at whatever pace we want?"

"What pace do you want?" Chuck asked.

"I think I've proven I'm good with any pace, with you," she replied.

She thought she heard him drop the phone.

}o{

He spent the night alone, missing Sarah, not sleeping as well as he had hoped. It was the first night he had spent without her, since moving into her room at the hotel during the conference. He'd let Zondra know the computers were finished, and she said she would be in town in a few days to pick them up. She might have a job for the two of them. He told her that if she needed Sarah, and not him, it was fine. Zondra just laughed, and hung up.

A knock on his door around lunch pulled him out of his thoughts. He walked over, opened the door, and smiled. "Mom," he said softly, opening his arms.

"Hi, Chuck," she said warmly, hugging him. "Grab whatever you need, we're going out to lunch."

}o{

"What would dad say about you being at the pier with a younger man on your lunch break?" Chuck asked, making her laugh.

"Probably not much right now, he's a little…" Mary trailed off, looking for the word.

"Upset?" Chuck offered.

"'Pigheaded' was what I was looking for, but, that works," Mary replied. She put down her sandwich. "Chuck, he screwed this up, not you. And you called him out."

"Yeah, but mom, the way he is-"

"Don't do that," Mary said, cutting him off. "It's one thing to disagree with you, but to accuse you of trying to sabotage his company, when he's the one okay with defective crap going out?! No." She shook her head.

"You two okay?" Chuck asked, worry on his face.

"Chuck," she said in a tone that clearly said don't be ridiculous. "Listen, that's what married life is. Sometimes you disagree with someone you love with every fiber of your being, but at the end of the day, I love the pigheaded idiot, and he loves me. We will figure this mess out." Chuck nodded, and his mother studied him. "How are you and Sarah?"

"Good," Chuck replied. "Really good."

"Uh-huh," Mary said.

"We are," he insisted. He was silent for a moment. "Maybe too good."

"What does that mean?" Mary asked. Chuck shook his head. "No, what does that mean, exactly?"

"Exactly? I don't know," Chuck insisted. "Mom, I love her."

"Have you told her?"

"Yeah, I have, and last night, it was the first night I wasn't with her since the conference and-"

"Wait, you've been with her every night since that conference?" Mary asked. Chuck nodded. "And how were you last night?"

"I didn't sleep well. I missed her, and not… that."

"Sex," Mary said. "It's called sex."

"I am aware what it is called," Chuck replied. "Mom… damn it, she likes me for me, and I like her, for her."

"Okay," Mary said with a shrug.

"Okay?"

"What do you want me to say? Stay away from the person that makes you happy?" Mary paused. "Son, all your father and I have ever wanted is for you to be happy, and I know you've been happy with her. I know you love her, and I know she loves you. Is that going too fast?" Mary shrugged. "I have no idea, that's for you two to decide. I've seen people date for six years get divorced after being married for two, and I've seen people date for six weeks be married the rest of their lives. There is no magic formula or checklist. What works for you, works."

"You just want grandkids," Chuck replied, laughing. Mary shrugged.

"Chuck," she said, her tone low and warm. She put her hand on his. "I just want you to be happy. And so does your father."

"Just at Orion, right?" Chuck asked. Mary pressed her lips together, widened her eyes and pulled away. "I'm guessing that walk-through is never happening."

"Oh, it will," Mary told him. "It will. Just give it some time. So, tell me about the conference."

}o{

Some time later, Chuck walked into Burton Consultants. "Well hello, tall, dark, and handsome," Molly said.

"Am I dark?" Chuck asked, making Molly roll her eyes as he studied his arms. "I always thought I was kinda fair-skinned."

"Dad, your soon-to-be idiot son-in-law is here!" Molly yelled. The door opened to Jack's office.

"I'm confused, is he my son-in-law and is soon to be an idiot, or an idiot and soon to be my son-in-law?" Jack asked.

"I love both of you, too," Chuck said, sticking out his tongue at Molly.

"Charlie, quit mocking your sister," Jack said with a grin, waving him into his office. "And you…" he began pointing to Molly. "Just stop."

"Stop what?"

"All of it," Jack said, shutting the door. Chuck sat in the chair across from Jack. "So, I've shown a few clients what you've done for me, and they'd like a consult."

"That's great," Chuck replied.

"And to get an overview of what we do, so I was thinking…" Jack trailed off, grinning.

"You've really backed off this whole your daughter working with the guy she's dating thing," Chuck pointed out.

Jack was silent for a moment. "How are you?" he asked, all teasing gone. Chuck shifted uncomfortably. "The reason I ask, is my father-in-law was my mentor, and taught me everything. If he and I had a fight like you and your dad… well…" He shook his head. "Charlie, it would crush me."

Chuck started to speak a couple of times, but could never get words out. "You know," Jack said gently, "we guys are supposed to be tough, and macho, and all that. But damn it, we have feelings." Chuck laughed, as Jack sat back in his chair. "I just want you to know you did the right thing. As much as it sucks what you're going through, you did the right thing."

"Doesn't feel like it," Chuck admitted.

"No, I bet it does not," Jack replied. "Just like it's gonna bother me that my daughter's not going to be sleeping at my house much anymore." Chuck lifted his head. "Just don't," Jack said. "Listen, I get it. She was grummmmmpy this morning. Molly didn't even make a lack of sex joke."

"You're handling this well."

"Don't really have a choice," Jack reminded him, spreading his hands. "What I'm saying is this: Lean on those you love, in times like these."

"Are you asking me to lean on you?" Chuck asked.

"You've spent too much time around Molly," Jack replied, with a flat look. Chuck tried to sober himself, but couldn't help grinning. "Fine, you wanna deflect, deflect. Are you in, on the consult?"

"I guess I could bear working with the delightful Miss Walker for a day or three," Chuck replied.

"Good," Jack chirped.

"Jack," Chuck began. "Thank you." Jack nodded. "It has not been easy, and I don't know how I'm going to fix this."

"It may not be on you to fix," Jack pointed out. "And, I'm sure you're aware of that, and not really happy about it."

"I am not," Chuck replied. "Happy about it, that is. But what can I do?"

"Not much," Jack said. "Just lean on those that love you." Chuck grinned. "I hate you."

}o{

Sarah heard a familiar staccato tap on her door, and looked up. "I hear you're doing some consulting, and I am invited along."

"Will you behave?" she asked.

"Better than Molly," Chuck replied.

"That's not much of an assurance," Sarah pointed out.

"I won't lick your face," Chuck offered.

"Hmmm… I'm not sure where I stand on that," Sarah said, shaking her head.

"Hey," Chuck said softly, and nervously. "I just want you to know that while I appreciate you giving me time last night, that was quite the boneheaded move on my part."

"Why's that?" she asked, laying down her pen, and giving him her full attention.

"'Cause I love you, and missed you," Chuck replied. "I didn't sleep well, and I missed talking to you last night, and this morning, and-"

"You know, all you have to do is ask me to come over, and I will," Sarah cut in.

"Will you come over?" Chuck asked.

"When?"

"Whenever," Chuck said. Sarah's eyes widened. "Yep, there it is, laid right out in front of us."

"Right there, bare, raw, naked-"

"Wow, you just took the ball and ran with it, huh?" Chuck asked. Sarah nodded. "So, I'm gonna go-"

"How long do you want me to stay?" she asked in a soft voice.

Chuck swallowed. "As long as you want," he admitted.

"Careful, I might not want to leave," she told him.

"Who says I want you to?' he asked with a shrug. Chuck turned and walked toward the front door. He saw Molly's eyes widen as he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't have time to react. He was spun and found himself in the mother of all lip-locks.

"Christ, just move in with him already," Jack groused, slamming his door, a grin on his face.

"I'll be home a little late," Sarah said softly, looking into Chuck's eyes. "I need to grab some things."

"Home?" Chuck asked.

"Wherever you are, is home," she said with a shrug.

"Jesus," he breathed.

"You okay?"

"No… yes, I mean… this is… a lot, and I'm all for it, but-"

"Are you scared?" she asked, concerned.

"Scared?" Chuck asked, amusement on his features. "God, Sarah, scared is the last thing I am… of us, that is. Now, scared I may screw it up? Uh, yeah."

"Don't cheat on me, and be honest," Sarah said with a shrug.

"I love you, and why the hell would I ever cheat on you?"

"I can be a lot," Sarah said, shrugging.

"Yeah, you can, and I like it."

"Mistress Molly, do you think I could stay with you tonight?" C3PO asked.

"Don't want to hear the freaky sex they're gonna have?" Molly asked.

"OH MY!" C3PO replied.

A/N: Fun fact, when this started I was thinking 15ish chapters. (Checks notes and see an idea for chapter 8 I STILL haven't used yet) I think 25 is a no-brainer, and possibly another 5 to 20 after that. I have no idea where this is gonna end. I know the original ending in my head but I'm wondering if that's enough. Come on back next time and see what happens when Sarah moves in.