A/N: Hi. I'm sorry. Life has been...well...not the best. Maybe I'll get out of my head some day. Today does not appear to be that day, and tomorrow ain't looking too good. My beta has had this back to me for a few days and I just haven't even had the motivation to post it. Again, I'm sorry.

Someone mentioned in a review that Teddy should go to jail. He's in jail. He was arrested that night. Welcome back to Just Two people.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

The night had gone wonderfully.

Chuck and Zondra felt like they were with family. It all felt perfect; too perfect, and that's when Jack said it.

"Why don't you two stop by the office tomorrow, so we can all talk." Chuck's eyes went wide, but he immediately felt Sarah's hand in his. "Calm down, Charlie. It's not anything bad."

Later, back home, Chuck sat silently on the bed.

"Do I need to call him and tell him you can't come tomorrow, because you're having an anxiety attack?" Sarah asked.

He whipped his head up to look at her. He hadn't heard her come into the bedroom, having been so wrapped up in his thoughts. "Realistically, if I did that every time I had one, I'd never leave the house," Chuck said with a shrug. He frowned. "Perhaps I shouldn't have said that," he muttered.

"Chuck, baby, I'm a psychologist. I know you have anxiety," Sarah said, gently. He chuckled. "I promise, it's nothing bad, and I kind of already know. But I'm not allowed to tell you, because Dad is really excited about this idea."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… I promise, it's okay," she assured him. "I'll protect you."

"Sarah, I'm a grown adult. I don't need you to-"

"Okay, buddy, you need to knock that shit off right now," she told him, moving to his side in a flash. "I know you don't need me to do anything. But I am here, and maybe I need to protect you because I love you."

"I know, I know," Chuck said, shaking his head. "It's just… gah, everything the past few days… You know?"

"I am aware. I've watched it all go down," Sarah reminded him, smiling softly. "So, how are you?"

"I'm fine… why wouldn't I be?" Chuck asked.

Sarah tilted her head. "Really, Chuck?"

"Sarah-"

"Chuck, you had to show your father every horrible thing Teddy did. You watched him pull a gun on your father, and then watch me approach him to save your dad," Sarah began.

"For some reason I really wasn't that worried about you. I figured you had a plan," Chuck admitted with a shrug.

"You didn't know I'd had self-defense training," Sarah pointed out.

"But I know you," Chuck replied. "You, who has a plan for everything; you, who is prepared for things I've not even thought about; you, who I trust with everything, and everyone, I love."

Sarah just sat there for a second, stunned. "Chuck," she said in a low voice. "You really need to stop flirting so hard with me, when I'm trying to check on you and see how you are."

"I'm not doing it on purpose," Chuck replied.

"I know," she said, leaning in to kiss him soundly. After a moment, she pulled back, sighing contently. "That's what makes it even better."

"Sarah, I basically got my dad fired from his job, and helped the new regime take his place," Chuck told her.

"No, you did not," Sarah countered. "Your father resigned. He didn't have to, but he did."

"If he didn't, I would have suggested it," Chuck argued.

"And that would have been the right call. None of that, however, constitutes a coup to get rid of him. You did what was best for the company. You made a big decision that looked at the larger picture; the health of the company."

"I still feel like a jerk," Chuck muttered.

"Did you knowingly let defective drives be sold?" Sarah asked him. Chuck shook his head. "Did you set out to get your father fired, or make him resign?" Chuck shook his head again. "Did you do any of this to make a profit?" Chuck shook his head a third time. "Do you not see how rare that is, Chuck Bartowski?"

"But all I'm doing is being me," Chuck protested.

"I stand by my point," Sarah told him. "Chuck, you're great at computers. But baby, what you did… what you had the courage to do, for your family's company, being who you are… don't you get why Dad wants to talk to us?" Chuck shook his head. "Chuck, a seasoned pro would have had trouble doing what you did."

"God, are all your clients like this?"

"No… this is the toughest I've ever dealt with," Sarah admitted. "Dad probably has seen some as bad, but this was the worst-case scenario. And do you know why it went, business-wise, as smoothly as it did?"

Chuck pointed at himself.

"That's right, Chuck. You. All you've ever talked about is being amongst people, helping them be their best selves, by using the products they are best suited for."

"Sarah," Chuck began, and then he trailed off.

"I do this for the greater good, Chuck," Sarah told him. "Yeah, sometimes there might be a person at a company who must be removed, because they are a problem for a myriad of different reasons. I hate that part of the job, but all I can do is make the recommendation."

"Do you feel guilty afterwards?" Chuck asked. "Knowing that it was your decision that probably cost that person their job?"

"No, because it wasn't my decision that cost that person their job," Sarah replied. "It was their actions…. Or inaction. Or, the company wanted to go in a specific direction, and the employee refused to join them. That's what so many employees sometimes seem to forget: at the end of the day, they are there to perform a service, to add value, somehow, to the company. I know that sounds harsh, but it's true. But the biggest problem is, sometimes that statement is seen as only in the bottom line."

"I don't understand," Chuck admitted.

"Take teachers, for instance. If we only look at what they contribute in the year they teach a student, then it's hard for someone who counts dollars and cents to see them as a value," Sarah told him. "That's one reason so many schools are so 'test' oriented. But instead, we need to look toward what these students one day will be, and a standardized test doesn't judge that well. If we only graded a farmer on their harvest, most days they would have no value."

"So, the days they plant, fertilize, and all of that, those would count against them?" Chuck asked.

"Exactly," Sarah told him. "And that's how too many companies look at things. They don't realize the harvest, and some crops, or people, or just about anything for that matter, may take longer to reach their full potential than others."

"So, what do you do when a company's vision and an employee's don't mix?" Chuck asked.

"Then you figure out if there is any way they can work together… or if they even want to," Sarah told him.

"So they lose their job," Chuck said sadly.

"Chuck, did you want to stay at Orion?" she asked him. He looked up at her. "Why would anyone else want to stay in a similar situation?"

"I thought you said my case was special?" Chuck asked her.

"Oh, you are special, for so many reasons," Sarah told him, kissing him softly on the cheek. "Too many times people don't even realize how much their current job, at which they think they're really good, is stifling them. The companies I really like working with let me work with the employees to find out what kind of job best suits them, so we can help them find employment elsewhere."

"That happen often?" Chuck asked. Sarah shook her head. Chuck wrapped his arm around her. "So, in fifty years when you tire of me, you gonna help me find…" He stopped, seeing Sarah's glare. "Okay, bad joke. I swear it was meant to be funny."

"Not happening, Chuck," Sarah told him.

"Okay," Chuck replied, nodding. He laid his head on her shoulder. "That sounds pretty serious."

"See Threepio," Sarah called. "In the dictionary, beside the word moron, does it show Chuck's picture?"

"It does not, Mistress Sarah. Should I request it?" C3PO answered.

"Hey," Chuck protested.

"Anyone who questions about how the two of you feel about each other is, in fact, a moron," C3PO insisted. "The definition is as follows: early 20th century (as a medical term denoting an adult with a mental age of about eight to twelve): from Greek mōron, neuter of mōros, 'foolish'."

"I'm just a fool in love," Chuck said, looking up at her, batting his eyelashes.

"Oh for the love of Pete," she replied, shoving him off of her and onto the mattress. She pounced on top of him. "Love you, Chuck."

"Love you, Sarah," Chuck replied. He began to lean up to kiss her and paused. "See-"

"Powering down, powering down," the assistant muttered, making both Chuck and Sarah laugh as they began to kiss.

}o{

"Do you mind not bouncing your leg?"

Carina faux-glared at Chuck the next morning as he, Carina, and Zondra waited in the lobby of Burton Consultants. "I don't need you triggering the San Andreas Fault with your not-so-micro-aggression to the floor."

"That's not possible," Chuck told Carina.

"Hey, computer thingy," Carina began.

"Would you please tell Miss Carina-" C3PO began.

"Oooo, Miss… is that because if you use Mistress Carina, you'll fry your circuits?" Carina cut in.

"Would you chill out for just one damn minute?" Zondra asked Carina. "Or are you nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous? I have all sorts of people who want to hire me," Carina pointed out.

"Oh, I don't know… some stability in your life for you and Johnny?" Chuck asked softly, leaning over to Carina. She whipped her head over to him, not-so-faux-glaring this time. "I'm so gonna pay for that."

"No," Carina replied just as softly. "I really am trying to find something with a little more stability, because of that." Zondra leaned forward as she looked at Chuck and Carina.

"Are you serious?" Zondra asked. "I mean, I knew that…" and she shook her head, flummoxed. "So is your wedding gonna be in the summer?" Carina didn't answer, her eyes flickering to her hand. Zondra looked down, her eyes widening.

"Uh," Chuck muttered, seeing a flash of gold before Carina had managed to cover her left hand with her right. Zondra reached down, grabbed Carina's left hand, and held it up.

"Did you know this?" Zondra hissed in Molly's direction. Molly looked over, and did a double take over what she was seeing. Zondra shook Carina's hand by the wrist, displaying the engagement and wedding rings adorning the fourth finger. "Did you?"

"I have been with you since you got to my parents' house yesterday," Molly reminded her. "How would I know?"

"You just have a way of knowing things," Zondra said. Chuck snorted laughter. Molly walked over, pulled Carina up, and gave her a hug. Zondra wrapped her arms around them both. "When did it happen?"

"Yesterday," Carina said with a shrug. "We just wanted something quiet, and us."

"Congratulations," Chuck said watching the three. They all turned to him. "What?" Molly grabbed him and pulled him into the hug.

"What did I miss?" came Sarah's voice from the far end of the hall.

"Carina got married," Molly told her. Sarah rushed over, joining the mass hug.

"Out of curiosity, Zondra, are we hugging?" Chuck asked.

"I don't know why we even talk to you some days," Zondra muttered.

}o{

The group gathered in the conference room.

"So," Jack began. "I understand it was Charlie that had the beginnings of this idea."

"Me?" Chuck asked, shocked.

"Yes you, Curls," Carina told him. "You're the one who said it made sense that we were all working together."

"But he left out one key component," Jack continued. "Himself."

"I can do computer repairs," Chuck said with a shrug.

Jack shook his head, chuckling. "Charlie, for a smart guy, you sure are dumb."

"Hey, that's my dummy you're talking about," Sarah piped up.

"And my dumbass best friend," Zondra added.

"And these are my friends," Chuck deadpanned. Jack chuckled.

"You've got a gift, Charlie. You see the big picture. You think about people's wants, about what they need, or think they need, and their best interests. You observe people, anticipate, and do your best to please them."

"Yeah he does," Sarah muttered.

"Down girl," Zondra muttered back to her.

"What are you saying, Jack?"

"I'm saying we need to all work together, as a consortium," Jack proposed. "And the thing is, you and my daughter, you're the big guns."

"I have been working out," Chuck began. Sarah backhanded him, never taking her eyes off her dad. "Ow!"

"We're being serious," Sarah told him.

"No, you're not," Chuck disagreed. "If you were, you wouldn't refer to me as a big gun. I'm just the computer guy."

"No, Chuck, you are definitely not just the computer guy," Zondra told him. "You listen to people. They feel comfortable talking to you."

"But that's Sarah's job," Chuck insisted.

"No, my job is to compile the data. I might not, however, be the best at obtaining it," Sarah admitted. "You are the best when it comes to finding things out." She paused. "Even better than Dad."

"Sarah-" he began to argue.

"She's right, Charlie," Jack told him. "You connect with people. They share with you. They know you care, and that's important. Remember your first session with Sarah? You sat, watched, listened, observed, and then you told Sarah what happened. You gave her data."

"I also gave my mom data," Chuck reminded him.

"Chuck, I get it. The thing is, you had no training what to do, and you did perfectly," Jack told him.

"All I did was be myself," Chuck protested.

"We know," Zondra said. Chuck looked over at her. "Why do you think I scooped you up so soon to work with us? Chuck… There's a reason your father was terrified for you leaving, and not just because you created and developed so many products. You're a natural-born leader. You put people first, you have a natural servant-leadership quality that is unrivaled. You put everyone else first."

"That's why you're the big gun," Jack told him. "Think it over, but what I'm offering isn't just about having gigs. It's about having offices, here. Game-planning as a team. It's about working together, like you already are with Sarah."

"I'm in," Carina said. "That is if you want me."

"I'm already in," Molly shrugged.

"We're gonna have you change some things you do, Darlin'," Jack told her. Molly beamed at him.

"Where she goes, I go," Zondra told Jack. Jack turned to Chuck.

"Sorry, Dad, I'm a package deal these days," Sarah told him, a grin on her face.

"Wait, what?" Chuck asked, confused.

"For the love of God, Curls," Carina nearly growled. "Don't you get it? She's all in with you. All. In."

"Hey, let them talk," Jack began.

"I'm in if Sarah's in," Chuck said. He stood up and looked around the room. "This all started with what felt like me losing my family." He looked over at Zondra. "And then, then I found this one, this makeshift family, that likes me for who I am."

"We love you, Chuck," Molly cut in. "Even Zondra."

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Zondra muttered, winking at Chuck.

"She absolutely does not," Chuck told Molly. "She also doesn't hug."

"He gets me," Zondra said in a low voice.

"But if you all agree with Jack, if you think I am needed-"

"Necessary," Molly said.

"Very," Zondra added.

"I mean I guess," Carina said with a shrug.

"I don't think I can ask for more than that," Chuck said to Sarah. "What do you think?"

"I was going to be quite upset if you'd said no, if I'm honest," Sarah told him. "Now, the biggest question: What do we call ourselves?"

"Our conglomerate name?" Jack asked grinning. "I have an idea."

"Oh, God," Sarah muttered.

"What, I'm great at names," Jack protested.

"Yeah, Burton Consultants, where none of us are Burtons," Sarah reminded him.

"Well, try this," Jack said. "Intersect Solutions, where your business needs, and our expertise, intersect." There was silence. "Huh? Huh?" He looked around the room expectedly, and then he deflated. "So you really hate it?"

"It's better than an American company with International reach," Chuck said to Sarah.

"That's a low bar," Sarah replied.

"You all suck, you know that? Absolutely suck," Jack said, leaning back against a table.

"Still think this is a good idea?" Chuck asked.

"Absolutely," Jack said, a smile crossing his face. "I have no problem if something sucks, you telling me it sucks." He quickly pointed around the room. "And might I remind you, no one actually said it sucks."

"We didn't know we needed to," Sarah deadpanned.

"So, Monday, we'll do the paperwork?" Jack asked. "Sarah, you will be taking care of Chuck's part I assume?" Chuck gave Jack a look. "You do understand legalese, right?"

"I think Sarah would be the better choice," Chuck said quickly.

"No one's getting screwed, Dad," Molly told him.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Darlin'. This is something special for all of us." He smiled. "I'm really looking forward to it."

"It's like he hasn't met us," Molly said, standing and heading back to her desk.

"At all," Zondra agreed, heading out with Carina.

"I need to get some paperwork done. See you at home?" Sarah asked Chuck. He nodded, went to kiss her on the cheek, hesitating when she gave him a look. She pulled him in for a lip-lock. When she let him go, she turned, headed out, and left Chuck standing there, a little wobbly.

"I am serious about all of this, Charlie," Jack told him.

Chuck turned toward him. "So, am I about to get myself a full-time office job?"

"God, no," Jack said, waving his hand at the notion. "And I know about the deal with your mother. Like I said, you won't be needed for every consult. But there will be some you'll be perfect for."

"Are you really sure this is a good idea?" Chuck asked Jack.

"Charlie, it's a great idea. I promise," Jack told him, walking up to him and clapping him on the back as the two left the conference room. "So all of us are invited to the shindig tomorrow?"

"Yep," Chuck said.

"Worried about your parents?"

"Yep," Chuck replied again.

"You're a good kid, Charlie. They'll fix it. Don't be so nervous."

"Oh, it's not them I'm worried about," Chuck said, his hand sliding into his pants to find a ring box. "I just think tomorrow might be a big day, that's all." Jack nodded.

"I need to get back to work. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Jack put two fingers to his temple, giving a salute to Chuck, and headed toward his office. Chuck headed to his car.

"Your pulse is sky-high, Master Chuck," C3PO told him.

"I wonder why?" Chuck asked, pulling out the ring box and looking at it.

"There could be a number of reasons-"

"See Threepio," Chuck cut in.

"Yes, Master Chuck?"

"Power down," Chuck told him.

"Very good, sir." Chuck started the car, and drove home in silence.

A/N: Next time…there is a proposal, but it might not be exactly what you think. I'm gonna warn you, I bawled like a baby writing the next chapter. I can't post anything from the chapter without spoiling it, so, I'll just have to leave you with that tidbit. Next chapter at beta. Take care my friends, hug your love ones, tell people you love them. See you soon.