A/N: Continuing this after many requests. Thank you all for the reviews and encouragement. It means all my stories will take longer to update, though.

Thanks to Captainrick944 who beta'd this one for me. I assume everyone is already reading his amazing Chuck AU, "Orion Cyber Security Systems."

My story here is just intended to be a gentle, sweet romance. Sarah is entering a new phase of her life, a far cry from what she has experienced for years. She has gotten to know the two Bartowskis and thoroughly enjoyed her time with Chuck. How does the next day pan out?

Shot
Chapter 2: Day-long date

Having to wear a skirt or a dress was something required on some missions; showing off her legs. She associated it with those missions and when not on them, normally wore jeans.

Now, she had to wear a skirt for a different reason. In some ways, this was worse because she needed to keep her knee free. Hell, she couldn't have gotten her jeans over that dressing even if she could pull them up that far. Her normal tight-fitting jeans were not an option today.

However, if she was honest with herself, she liked the idea of her legs being on show today. For the first time in, well, ever, she wanted them on show. She knew she had attractive legs and wanted Chuck to see them. However, a skirt long enough to cover her knee to avoid attracting attention to her damaged knee meant her legs were mostly hidden. Just perfect!

She didn't know why she was feeling this way. Chuck had seen her at her worst yesterday, so the desire to dress up for him seemed a bit ridiculous, but she wanted him to like what he saw.

At least she'd been able to apply makeup to look better. He had made such kind comments about her appearance yesterday, but today, she wanted to wow him.

Overnight she'd had no nightmares. Unlike most nights, she'd just had happy dreams about their date. This morning, over her breakfast, she'd thought about how he'd made her laugh and forget about all her worries. He also really seemed to be interested in her as a person, not like most men.

And she'd liked him. A lot. She wanted to know more about him, be with him more.

He was coming over soon. He'd called and asked again if it was okay. It was embarrassing how quickly she said, "Please!" again.

She tried to stop fidgeting as she sat on her bed. She brushed her skirt for the umpteenth time, straightening the folds.

She had never felt this way about a man before, but then she'd never wanted to be around people. Life had just been one mission after another, so she hadn't had time for this sort of thing. However, she knew that it wasn't just that. Chuck Bartowski appealed to her so much. Already!

They hadn't even called this a date, although she thought of it as one. An all-day date. God, she was behaving like a schoolgirl with a crush and now going on a date with that person, but that was how her heart was treating this.

She folded her hands together and tried to calm herself.

Chuck couldn't work out how had he managed to get the courage to ask if he could see her again. He never normally was that bold. There was something about her that… emboldened him? Was that even a word?

This amazing woman had said yes. Encouragingly so. She seemed as keen on seeing him again. That certainly straightened his back and made him feel good about himself.

He really hoped that she would like the vacant apartment.

He'd discussed that apartment with his sister over breakfast. She thought it was still free, so he had rushed to confirm that as soon as he could. It hadn't been announced as vacant yet, and it would keep the costs down for the realtor if that wasn't necessary, so the woman he spoke to was happy to let him take Sarah to see it that morning.

Now he was standing outside her hotel room, about to knock. His doubts started to flare up. Why did he think such an amazing woman would be interested in him? Sure, she needed an apartment, so would agree to see him today, but date him? In your dreams, pal.

He tried to push those feelings down, get them under control. He knocked.

The door opened, and he just stood and looked at her, trying hard not to stare.

She looked even more stunning than last night. The blue and white patterned blouse clinging to her form and the color of her blue flared skirt, even though not near them, matched her eyes perfectly. The skirt hid her knees, probably deliberately, but not her gorgeous legs down to her ankles. She was wearing makeup today. She didn't need it to look stunning, but it did enhance her natural beauty.

A smile was forming on her lips. "Do I look okay to see the apartment?"

His jaw, which was trying its best to drop, started working and helped him respond, "If looks were that important, they'd pay you to take the apartment, Sarah." She beamed at him, making his heart pump faster. "You look stunning."

She blushed, but her smile grew further. "Thank you, Chuck." She looked him up and down. "You look good, too."

Chuck's arrival had spurred her into action.

She scoffed at herself. Yeah, leaping up and sprinting to the door, Walker!

She hobbled over, determined not to use the crutch.

He froze when she opened the door, just looking at her with such awe in his eyes. That warmed her heart and confirmed that he liked what he saw.

She smiled and asked if she looked good enough for the viewing. She could already see she was but making him say it felt important. His answer was better than she expected. All the work she put into her appearance had paid off. She glanced at him and returned the compliment.

His shy smile pleased her as much as his words.

She didn't plan to use her crutch today, so she laced her hand around his arm and leaned into him. "You're my crutch today." As they walked slowly together, she thought about the statement. It was true in more ways than just being her support as she walked. He and his sister had supported her integration into civilian life, befriending her, even though she hadn't realized she needed that.

She hummed happily.

When they reached his car, he helped her in, just as he had the day before. His hands on her calf affecting her more than they had then. She knew that was due to how tense she had been around him, whereas now she felt relaxed, good, happy to have him touch her even.

He was, once again, just focusing on helping.

Does he like touching my leg? Does he even like my legs?

She shook her head, annoyed with herself. She shouldn't be thinking things like that. This wasn't a date; it was a friend helping her find an apartment.

The apartment block wasn't far from the hotel. As he eased the car into a space in the parking lot, she took her first look at the buildings. There looked to be apartments on either side of a courtyard where he'd brought her. In the center of that courtyard, there was a fountain. It looked beautiful.

As she climbed out of the car, with his help, she hoped the inside of the apartment was as good as the outside. She felt she wanted this to be where she stayed.

They walked to that courtyard. As they approached, a woman with a clipboard stepped away from one of the apartments, focusing on Sarah. "Miss Walker?" she asked.

Sarah nodded and smiled. "That's me."

The woman smiled and held out her hand. "Jane Bleasdale. I'm here to show you the apartment." She looked at Chuck. "He's a good friend letting you know about it before it goes on the market."

Sarah looked at him too. "That he is," she replied.

Thankfully, the apartment was all on the first floor, so she didn't have to negotiate any stairs; that would've ruled the place out immediately while she was in this condition. It was fairly small, but she wasn't looking for large. In fact, it was just what she wanted.

Jane had been letting her explore on her own. Well, not quite on her own. Chuck had gone with her. Not that she was leaning on him or anything, just being there if she needed anything.

She found Jane sitting at the dining table, looking at her phone. Sarah walked to her. "I like it. How much?"

Jane told her, and Sarah smiled. That hotel room had been more. She grinned. "When can I move in?"

Jane grinned back. "Well, we'll have to do the paperwork and confirm you're both legitimate and your bank details are sound. Maybe by Friday?"

Sarah knew her details would be fine. The CIA had allowed her to leave and provided a background for her. There would be no complications.

They sat down to complete the paperwork, with Jane helping where needed. She did this willingly. "Such an easy sale," she commented once they'd finished. She led them back out and locked the apartment door.

"Thank you, Jane," Sarah said as she shook her hand.

As Jane walked to her car, Sarah looked at Chuck for the first time since they arrived. "Oh my God! In less than a week, I'll have an apartment!"

He grinned at her, looking pleased with himself. She was pleased with him, too. She stood on tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips to say thanks.

Both of them closed their eyes and just enjoyed the kiss.

When they separated, he still had his eyes closed. She liked that.

She felt full of energy and wanted to explore. "Which is your apartment, Chuck?"

He managed to open his eyes and look at the beautiful blonde. He was sure that if her knee wasn't damaged, she'd be jumping up and down in glee. As it was, her eyes, those glorious blue eyes, were sparkling.

He grinned and pointed behind him with his thumb over his shoulder. "Back there."

She looked over the fountain at the apartment on the other side of the courtyard. She almost squealed. "We'll be neighbors, Chuck!"

His grin widened. He couldn't believe that this amazing woman would be living so close to him. "Wanna see?"

She nodded enthusiastically, so they walked around the fountain to get there. As they passed it, he commented. "I often sit out here to think."

She gripped his arm. "We can think together, Chuck."

He looked at her and her boundless excitement. He was falling for her big time, and with her being like this and that amazing kiss, he couldn't believe his luck. Ellie asking him to be there for Sarah Walker yesterday had been the best thing she had ever done for him. He really needed to thank his sister.

He opened the apartment door and ushered her in. It hit him suddenly. Sarah was the first girl he had ever taken home. He froze thinking about that. It was just a quick visit, and nothing was going to happen, but this felt like a really big deal for him.

Sarah walked down the small entranceway and looked over the room before her. The kitchen area was off to her left, the dining table in front of her, and the living area was beyond that. At the end, there was a hallway that must lead to the bedrooms and the bathroom. The overall layout was identical to the apartment she had viewed but larger to accommodate more people.

She turned back to comment to Chuck, who had stayed behind her, and was surprised to see him frozen there.

She walked back to him and placed her hand on his arm. "You okay, Chuck?"

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He knew he shouldn't tell her, but hell, she's a spy, she'd work it out anyway. "Y- you're the first girl I have ever brought back here, Sarah." Now, having said it, he felt stupid.

Her beautiful trinkling laugh spilled out. Not at his expense, but just … pleased? "Really?"

He nodded but had to make it sound less ridiculous. "I know this isn't a date, but that's a big thing for me."

Still smiling, she walked up to him and kissed him. "Who says it's not a date?"

The smile that appeared on his face told her that he liked what she'd said and done.

"Keep kissing me, and I will definitely see it as a date," he replied.

She patted his cheek. "Good." Then she turned around. "Show me around?"

He gave her the guided tour of the place. She noted the third bedroom was set up as a gym, which she loved. "Use it much?" she asked.

He huffed. "Not my scene. El does, but it's mainly for Devon."

The final room was his bedroom. He looked nervous. She grinned. "Gonna show the first girl here your bedroom, Chuck?"

He blushed. He wondered, Why am I being like this?

He pushed open the door, and she walked in.

She looked around the room. It was more jam-packed than the other rooms. Tidy but full. She looked over at the comics on the shelf opposite her. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Comics?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with comics," he replied, but did feel a bit embarrassed at there being so many.

"I have no problems with that," she stated. "… or dolls," she concluded as she reached for his figurine of Han Solo before he stopped her.

"They're not dolls. They're action figures. And very valuable, so we don't touch them."

Her smile broadened. She could see he was passionate about this. She couldn't resist teasing him. "Dolls," she confirmed.

She scanned the other surfaces and shelves. "Wow! You really like DVDs and music."

He frowned. He didn't think he had much of either, really. "Doesn't everyone?"

She blushed at that. She spoke quieter. "Hmm. Not me."

He was surprised. "Don't you love watching something like Star Wars or… or Jurassic Park?"

She looked askance. "Never heard of them."

He was now dumbfounded. She had never seen either set of films?

She could tell this was unusual, so she had to explain. "I never had time to sit and watch movies, Chuck."

The smile forming on his face lit up the room. "Oh, I am going to have so much fun introducing you to them."

That made her smile too. "Think I'm gonna spend a lot of time over here with you, Chuck?"

He gazed into her eyes. She felt like she was falling into those brown depthless eyes of his. His words made her feel good too. "I hope so, Sarah. I really hope so."

Sarah was surprised at herself. How could this be happening so fast? There was no doubt in her mind, she was falling for him.

She had to reply to that comment, though. She couldn't leave that hanging. "I'd really like that, Chuck."

The tension in the air made him feel the need to lighten it. "Hey, when you move into your apartment, you won't be far from home."

Home. She'd never had a home. This was going to be her first. It felt a bit overwhelming, but she knew that this man in front of her and his sister would continue to make her feel welcome and just enjoy being there.

She looked at him again. "Thank you for everything, Chuck." She had to be honest with him. She had no idea why. Maybe it was because she so rarely was honest in her past and wanted to be different now. "I love that apartment. I love the courtyard and the fountain." She held his gaze for the final bit. "And I love being so close to you and Ellie."

He beamed at her. "Awesome!"

"So, they defeated the Empire and became heroes," she commented as the credits rolled in front of her.

"Well, not quite. They just won that battle, destroyed that Battlestar," he explained. "This was just the first movie."

She moved from the position she'd slipped into on the couch, her left arm resting against his right. She looked at him. "So, how many more movies?"

He grinned. "Well, there's two more after this one, but there's also three more before it."

She had noticed the words at the beginning said, "Episode IV," but was so entranced reading the rest of the scrolling text that she didn't question it. "Why did we watch this one first, then?"

"This was the first that came out and so much better than the three that were set before it. It's also the best introduction to Star Wars."

"Hmm. And will that be it? Done, after the… six?"

"Nooo. Lucas planned another three to follow, but we have no idea when they'll come out."

She looked at him for a few seconds. "That's a lot of Star Wars," she commented.

"But did you enjoy it?" he asked.

She cast her mind back to consider her reply. "That talking robot was irritating, but I like the Vader character." She glanced over at him. "Does that make me bad?"

"Dark, but not bad, Sarah."

"Oh, so I am on the Dark Side?" She was grinning as she said it.

He didn't ponder that for long. "No, Sarah. You are a force for good."

She was glad he thought that but was doubtful herself. She was curious, though. "How do you know that?"

His conviction was a bit overwhelming. "I just know it."

She was still pondering that when she heard a key in the lock at the front door.

She looked up and saw her friend, Ellie, walk in. Ellie looked at her and grinned. "Sarah!"

"Hi, Ellie." Sarah tried to get up, but the older woman didn't give her a chance and rushed over, leaned down, and embraced her.

When Ellie sat down, she looked over at the television and frowned. "Star Wars? He's subjecting you to Star Wars?"

Sarah placed a hand on her friend's arm. "Not subjecting me to it. I asked to watch it."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Not another one!" However, Sarah could tell the humor behind the words.

Sarah beamed at her friend. "Chuck found me an apartment." She pointed out of the window and across the courtyard. "I'll be moving in by the end of next week."

Ellie squealed and embraced her again.

Devon was every bit as awesome as Chuck had described. When he arrived, he and Ellie immediately started preparing a meal. They insisted Sarah stay and eat with them.

Now they were in the middle of their meal and Ellie and Devon sat and regaled her with stories on their time at the hospital, about their vacations, and basically everything about them. She loved every minute of it.

It was all interesting, but Sarah couldn't keep her eyes off of Chuck. They were drawn to him. He seemed the same with her, which made her feel good.

She did question Ellie and Devon about the guy sitting next to her, desperate to know more about him. What she heard impressed her. She turned to Chuck. "So, you graduated from Stanford but then worked at the Buy More for nearly five years? Why was that?"

He hung his head and nodded but didn't answer the question.

She saw that this was a raw subject, so decided not to push for an answer. His sister, however, did not keep quiet. "The bitch that broke his heart."

Chuck looked up at his sister, both in surprise and annoyance. "El!" he exclaimed. "You've always told me to keep quiet about Jill."

Ellie scoffed at that. "Sarah's too smart to hide things from her." Sarah noticed a twinkle in her eye. "Besides, you're just friends, right?" Then she laughed at the two blushing faces. "I knew it!"

"Knew what, Babe," Devon asked with a frown.

"These two! They're so into each other!"

Sarah locked eyes with Chuck. Both were still blushing, but she reached over and took his hand. "Well, she's right about me," she admitted.

He beamed at her, "Me too."

Before Ellie could say anything else, Sarah had to tease him. "Where else would I find such a collection of movies I haven't seen."

Chuck knew she was teasing, so replied, "Well, just about anywhere, you've seen so few movies."

She laughed. "True."

Early on, Sarah decided to confess to being an ex-CIA operative, but that she didn't talk about it. Chuck had already guessed she was, so wasn't phased by the admission. He desperately wanted to ask questions about it, but her reluctance put him off. He just wanted to enjoy being with her.

The evening continued happily. As Sarah had admitted to being in the CIA, and he graciously agreed to not ask question about it, she was able to avoid talking about her past at all.

And, for her part, Sarah didn't push to know about this Jill nor why he hadn't gotten over her. Sarah didn't want to think about previous partners. She didn't want to think about the past at all, really, just about the future.

When it was time to head back to the hotel, Chuck kindly drove her there and walked her to her room.

Once in there, she turned to Chuck and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I've had a great day, Chuck, and it's all thanks to you. The apartment, the movie, the meal with your family, and the evening. Thank you so much, Chuck." She stood on the uninjured leg's toes, leaning on him more on the other side, and kissed him. A tender, thank you kiss, but she held it for longer than really needed.

As she pulled away, she noted his still closed eyes and pouting lips that obviously wanted the kiss to last longer. Hell, she did too, but her knee was getting uncomfortable.

"Chuck, I'm not good at relationships. I really like you but don't want to start something that won't last." She looked down. "As I told you, my last ended a few months ago, so I'm a bit sensitive."

"Sarah, I haven't had a relationship in five years, and that one ended badly, so I'm no good with relationships either." She had looked up when he started talking. She saw that pain in his eyes again.

She placed her hand on his arm. "Two broken people?"

He smiled at her. "Maybe less broken when together?" he asked tentatively.

She smiled back. "Let's see."

He bent down and gently kissed her.

She wanted to wrap her arms around him and deepen the kiss, but she knew it was too soon for that. Besides, it might lead to something her body wasn't yet up to.

As they pulled apart, she asked, "When will I see you next?" She wondered if she sounded desperate to see him but didn't care.

Chuck's broad smile told her he wasn't put off by that desperation. "Well, as tomorrow is Sunday, I am completely at your disposal."

"You don't have other things you need to do?"

He thought about his plans with Morgan. "Nothing important." He would have to put Morgan off, but he was sure his buddy would understand.

He was still amazed that she would be interested in him, but everything she did told him that she was. "What would you like to do?" he asked.

"Show me the sights!" she chimed back, giggling, then she realized what she was doing. Giggling? When did I start doing that?

Chuck grinned. He had no idea what to show her, but the thought of another day with her made him so happy. "Pick you up at around 10am?"

"I can be ready sooner, if you can," she replied. God damn, am I desperate!

He hadn't wanted to rush her, but he couldn't be happier with having more time with her. "Okay, how about an hour earlier, at 9am?"

"Can't wait," she told him.

He hesitated for a few seconds, then decided he'd just go for it and kissed her once more, briefly. "See you tomorrow, Sarah."

As he walked to the door, she just stood and waved.

As soon as he was gone, she let the pain in her knee force her to sit. She'd stood for longer than she had planned, but he had been so worth it.

If someone had told her a few weeks ago that she'd be starting a relationship so soon after moving to LA, she'd have laughed at them, but that is exactly what was happening. The cold-blooded assassin falling for this guy and so quickly.

Even better, he had helped her find an apartment, and it was just yards from his and Ellie's place. She looked around the room and considered what was in the closet and the other rooms. Good job I don't have much stuff to move.

Then she thought about the fact she was moving into an unfurnished apartment. Shit! I'll need to furnish it!

Maybe Chuck would help in some way.

A/N: So, Sarah will move into an apartment across the fountain from Chuck, Ellie and Devon. Nice.

I'd love to know what you think of this. A review would be great.