The Detective and the Tech Guy

Author: Steampunk . Chuckster

Rating: T

Summary: A case of mistaken identity and murder brings Sarah Walker, Pinkerton agent, to sunny California. Protecting the heir to the Bartowski Electronics Corporation should be just business - but Chuck Bartowski fills out a suit nicely and makes a mean martini. Chuck lobbied to hire the Pinkerton Agency, but had no idea the detective they'd send would be as alluring, intelligent and fascinating as Sarah Walker. Will the detective and the tech guy solve the mystery, distracted by the riddle in their own hearts? An homage to The Thin Man movies.

Disclaimer: No money is being made from this story. I don't own Chuck or The Thin Man series.

Author's Note: I'm back oh my GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD it's been foreverrrrrrr! I really missed this a whole lot though and I needed it so here I am with a new arc. This is just the beginning moo-ha-ha-ha.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Detective Versus the Assistant, Part 1

Sarah stood at the window, watching the rain fall down over the early morning streets of downtown Los Angeles. Rain was completely unexpected considering it had been warm and the sky cloudless the day before, but she wasn't exactly upset about it.

As much as she loved living in LA now, she sometimes missed the Chicago weather. Like having seasons that looked like they always did in the movies, for instance. Granted, she wasn't a fan of freezing to death just by standing outside for longer than ten minutes. She'd gladly left that part behind.

But she just loved rain. The cleansing nature of it. The way it smelled on the pavement. And she'd actually gotten pretty good at being able to smell when it was coming. Though she'd failed on that front last night.

She had good reason, she thought.

And Sarah Walker, private investigator, looked over her shoulder at the reason lying facedown in his bed, still fast asleep, the sheets pooled at his bare hips, and she smiled. She couldn't help the sigh that escaped as she looked at him.

His face was turned towards her in the early morning gloom coming through the blinds she'd opened to look outside, his hair a mess, and he had his hand nearest her stretched out, covering her side of the bed where she'd just been sleeping. It was like he was reaching out for her unconsciously in his sleep and it made her feel warm even as she stood in the cool air of the bedroom in nothing but the button-up she'd peeled off of him the night before, after they'd gotten back from the benefit.

Last night had been a rather stressful, but still rewarding, experience for her. A marked step forward. And maybe that was what had woken her up so early this morning, before the sun had even thought about rising. She'd been well aware of the Step, with a capital S, when Chuck had first asked her to come with him to a Bartowski Electronics Corporation sponsored benefit to raise money for LA's public schools.

Heretofore, that hadn't really been a part of this relationship. Not that they were hiding that they were together anymore. But B.E.C. typically sent Stephen and Mary as their representatives to these things, and Chuck did his best to stay away from that side of the corporation. But as the causes of access to education and broadband had grown into Chuck's bread and butter over the last year or two, Stephen had asked Chuck to be the representative, to actually speak to the matter at hand, and to start forming alliances and partnerships with the activists, educators, and students on the ground.

She respected the crap out of Stephen J. Bartowski for recognizing the moment and pushing his son to seize it.

But then Chuck had asked her to come with him, and it had felt like… She didn't know. Like a man asking his partner to be there at his side. Hence the benefit last night feeling like a Step, with a capital S. The benefit was a big deal, big enough that Chuck was nervous about it. In a lot of ways it was a starting point for him, a path he was starting anew, growing off of the success of his convention, the crucial work it had done for the community.

It was a big deal.

And he'd asked her to go with him. Not just as the woman he'd have on his arm, but as his significant other. The other half of a partnership.

Of course she'd agreed to be there for him. And she'd agreed immediately. And then she'd silently dwelled on it and stressed over it for a week. Because it was a Step, and also because he was entrusting her with the image of his corporation. He was entrusting her with his own image, his reputation.

Not that she really knew how she could've fucked last night up, but she'd still been worried about that possibility. She wasn't some uncouth idiot who'd just crawled out from under a rock. She knew how to comport herself at fancy parties. But Chuck's world was so incredibly different from hers and she'd felt like a sore thumb amidst all of the hubbub last night.

Chuck hadn't ditched her or anything. He'd stayed by her side throughout the entire night, or at least throughout most of it. And he'd introduced her to every single person they'd come into contact with. She was his "girlfriend, Sarah Walker". And when someone had asked the very first time what she did, Sarah had paused, not quite sure how to approach her answer, and Chuck said "Sarah's a private investigator" with so much pride, every bit of unsureness she'd felt about whether or not she belonged in the midst of these incredible people had disappeared. Just like that.

She suddenly didn't care that none of those people knew what to make of the fact that Charles Bartowski, CFO of Bartowski Electronics Corporation, brought his private investigator girlfriend into their midst.

There was no question in her mind that this relationship was serious. And last night, their appearance together amidst people with influence and people without influence, the pride with which Chuck had introduced her, their partnership on full display at one of Chuck's massively important work functions, had left no question in anyone else's mind that this relationship was serious.

It put something of an exclamation point onto it. It underlined it. Made it bold.

In a way few things had before last night.

They weren't just dating.

They weren't just together, even.

This was a partnership.

And he'd introduced her as his partner—without having to even use that word—to almost everyone at the benefit for public schools, people he'd no doubt be working with for a long time to come, considering how gung-ho he was about this cause in particular.

It was crazy. She'd been unprepared for it. And even if the sensation wasn't a negative one really, it wasn't anything she was used to feeling. It made her squirm.

And she hadn't slept great, in spite of the extra heat that had been there when they got back from the benefit and fell into bed together.

Once they'd actually made it to his bed.

First they'd tested out the sturdiness of his front door, and then the table behind his living room couch. Only after that had they finally fallen into bed together.

She typically slept incredibly well after she and Chuck had sex, but the capital S had loomed there in her vision, even when she'd shut her eyes to try to fall asleep. Especially when she'd shut her eyes.

Sarah crossed her arms, the too-long sleeves of Chuck's shirt dangling a bit, and she moved back to the bed, crawling onto it and tucking her legs back under the covers, having to pick up Chuck's hand to get it out of her way, before dropping it back where it was to land on her bare thigh.

She heard him emit a soft muffled sound and he scooted closer to her, nuzzling his face against her hip, his arm wrapping around her waist and tightening his hold. She loved it when he did things like this in his sleep. It was a reminder that he adored her, even unconsciously.

And it made the seriousness of last night all the more…well, serious.

As she gently ran her fingers through his dark curls, she wondered how in the hell she got here. And with him, of all people. What had she ever done in her life to earn him? To earn this moment? To earn the step Chuck had taken when he brought her with him to that benefit?

The step they'd both taken.

Did Chuck understand the significance or was she just crazy sensitive to all of this because she wasn't at all normal when it came to human interactions before Pinkerton sent her to Los Angeles a few years ago? He'd been careful to tell her she didn't have to go with him if she didn't want to, if she thought it'd be boring, or if she just didn't feel all that comfortable going.

Did that mean he got that this would be a Step with a capital S, too?

Or was he just being sweet and giving her the freedom to decide for herself because that was just who he was?

Chuck made a quiet grumbling sound then and she looked down, still lightly stroking his hair as he slowly blinked his eyes open and lifted his head a bit to squint up at her. "Hi," he mumbled, a dreamy look on his face. It was a wonder he still got that look when he woke up and realized she was here beside him.

"Hi. Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you up."

"Nah, s'okay." His eyelids fluttered as she continued running her fingers through his curls. "Sun isn't up yet. But you're up. Everything okay?" She nodded, smiling down at him. "Y'sure? You have that…" He paused. "I dunno, when there's something going on and you can't sleep, I get, like, a certain feeling from you. I can feel it. Like a sixth sense I've developed since we started dating."

"That's cute," she said. "If a bit, erm…weird. Mostly cute."

He wrinkled his face up in consternation. "You're changing the subject."

"Stop being so good at reading me. It pisses me off."

"You love it."

"I said stop doing that, didn't I? And then you just did it again anyway."

He giggled and shifted his shirt she was wearing out of the way so that he could place a slow, warm kiss against her hip. It made a delicious shiver go through her, whether he meant for it to or not. "Sarah, talk to me," he said then. And there was something so comforting about his deep voice, gravelly with sleep. She felt a soul-deep sense of belonging and safety suddenly.

And then Chuck groaned a little, climbing up to sit next to her and pulling the sheet up to cover his lower half. He slung his bare arm over her shoulders and gently guided her into his embrace, holding onto her tightly as she turned her body to cuddle against his chest, pressing her lips to his collarbone.

"Nothing's wrong, I swear. I'm just…thinking. And when I think too much, my brain doesn't let me sleep. It isn't serious." It was actually kind of serious, even if it wasn't bad.

"You're between cases. So it isn't a case…"

"Are you trying to guess what I'm thinking about?" she asked in a droll voice.

"…Maybe," he answered after a long pause. "Are you thinking about how I might need to get a new table for behind the couch after last night? Because if that's what's making you lose sleep, don't worry about it. I can just buy a new one and actually have it match the rest of my furniture. The last owner of this condo left it so I used it 'cause hey, why not? But I don't even like it that much."

Sarah pulled back to look up into his face and laughed. "Cheeky. No, I'm not thinking about that. Though I'm glad to hear we didn't break an heirloom."

"An heirloom?" He snorted. "I think they bought it at discount IKEA. Does IKEA have a Rack like Nordstrom does?"

She snorted too and cuddled back against him, nuzzling a little to get comfortable.

"Are you thinking about something else that happened last night?" he finally asked after a minute or so of silence.

"Chuck," she sighed, "you don't have to guess what I'm thinking about. It's not a big deal."

"Big enough to make you lose sleep. And you love sleeping almost as much as you love me. Which is saying something." He grinned toothily. Then he nudged her, sobering up a little after she fixed him with a flat look. "Seriously. Baby. What is it?"

She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to voice it or put it out there and have it make the air around them tense or uncomfortable. She was so comfortable and she didn't want to ruin it.

"Sarah?"

Rolling her eyes, not sure if it was necessarily at him or at herself, Sarah pushed herself back from his chest and met his gaze in the darkness of the room, just a few slivers of the light from the street outside cutting across Chuck's bed. "Chuck, I…don't want to talk about it. Okay? It's…not bad or anything. It's just…a thought. That's all."

He just watched her quietly and she searched his features for hurt. There wasn't any that she could see, however. Though the curiosity was still there. "Okay," he said simply. "So long as you know I'm here."

She gave him a saucy look. "Hmm. Like I could forget." Biting her lip, she dragged a pointedly hungry graze down his chest and back up again.

"You don't have to seduce me to get me to drop the subject, Sarah Walker, P.I., when I already agreed to let it go."

Her jaw fell open. "Excuse me? I do not seduce my boyfriend with ulterior motives."

"Liiiiiies!" he cried out dramatically, making her crack up. "You're lying!" And then he chuckled, catching her hand before she could smack his shoulder, tugging her in tight against his chest. "I know when it's happening every time and I let it happen, just so you know. In case you think about getting a big head or somethin'…"

"Oh really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You let it happen, huh?"

"Mhm." He shrugged and made a pfft sound. "It's not like I don't benefit from it."

"Wowwww!" She laughed, throwing her head back. "The truth comes out…"

Chuck dove in and nibbled on her neck, making her squeal and giggle, trying to wrestle herself out of his arms, but only halfheartedly. He managed to pin her to the mattress beneath him and he rolled so that his weight was pressing her down into the bed, and just when she was silently congratulating herself for letting the topic of conversation drop to become something a lot more enjoyable and welcome, Chuck's lips brushed against her ear and he breathed, "What were you thinking about?"

Sarah froze, then groaned, turning her face away from him. "You're relentless."

He chuckled and kissed her cheek, sliding to the side so that he was only curled around her instead of having all of his weight on top of her. "I'm mostly just teasing you. If you really want me to drop it, I will."

She eyed him dubiously and then pressed her lips together. "I don't want…to make things awkward."

"You won't."

"It's just my brain doing…the thing it always does."

"Which is…?"

"Freaking out about things that aren't bad, they're just…different. Or…I don't know, a shock to the system." She huffed. "My system. It is gonna sound crazy, because I'm sure regular girls don't find this sort of thing…shocking. It probably doesn't even register for them as something to think about, let alone dwell on." And then she rolled her eyes at herself. "I'm making no sense."

"Not really, but it's okay. You don't have to make sense to me, as long as it helps you to get it out. You can just talk at me."

She hadn't expected that from him and she turned wide eyes to look up into his face. "That might be what this is. I can't even make sense of my own thoughts in here." She pointed at her head.

"I know how that is. Trust me."

She shook her head and sighed, trying to at least figure out how to start.

"Chuck, we've been dating now for a bit and it's good. It's really good." A nervous look swept over his handsome, sleepy features and she was quick to try to assuage the nerves, knowing where his brain had immediately gone. "I was thinking about us, yes, but I told you it isn't bad. I'm not having bad thoughts about us. This is good, Chuck. It's…" She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "It's the best thing in my life. The most important thing in my life. Come on," she drawled, "you know that."

He smiled warmly. "Yeah, I do. I feel the same about us."

She knew that. But last night had felt like he'd taken a super bright Sharpie and underlined it boldly for not just his family and friends and employees to see, but for the people in the important circles he and the rest of the Bartowskis ran in to see, too. The business partners and movers and shakers of Los Angeles. It felt like a wordless announcement.

"Chuck, in the time we've been together, since…well, since we stopped hiding that we were in a relationship, even though this is serious—us, I mean—we're serious, I've never really gone around…that group of people."

He furrowed his brow. "What group?"

She took a deep breath. "I've been to B.E.C. countless times now, and they all see me, they know me. I'm around your family a lot. I'm pals with your friends. But last night was a different group. It was the group where your dad and your mom typically go, and before this, when you've gone, it's just been, you know, you. This time, you brought me. And I guess it just felt like…a, um, a step. Like your inviting me to the benefit last night was a step. For us. Does that make sense?"

"You mean 'cause I introduced you, my girlfriend, to all of my parents' rich friends?"

She winced. He really just hit the nail on the head, as blunt as it was. "That. Yes. Though I, um, wasn't going to phrase it like that."

Chuck glanced off to the side, a thoughtful look on his face. "Huh. You're right. I really haven't brought you to anything like that before, have I? Just my birthday but that wasn't a conscious choice, since you two in cahoots brats surprised me with that." He winked as she glared a little.

"Well, even if it was a conscious choice, that was different. I mean, what you brought me to last night was a super fancy, official benefit with movers and shakers, big names, super rich people in LA. Those were, like, your parents' people. And they were people you absolutely have to impress. You introduced me to all of them as your girlfriend and it felt…I dunno, I guess it felt like a big deal."

"For us?"

"Yeah," she said, giving him a one shoulder shrug, feeling almost shy in spite of everything.

"So that's why you couldn't sleep? Because I took you to an event with all of the so-called movers and shakers and introduced you around as my girlfriend?" He blinked when she nodded, looking like he didn't quite understand. "But…you are my girlfriend. I-I mean, we're…you're my girlfriend. Did you think I'd introduce you as just a friend?" He furrowed his brow as if he was trying to figure all of this out.

It made her feel sort of ridiculous.

"No, of course not. That isn't it. I'm…" She took a deep breath again and shook her head. "It's silly. Just forget it." She tried to laugh it off.

But Chuck slid his hand around her hip, squeezing. "Wait. Hey. No. We aren't just forgetting it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trivialize this conversation. I'm just…not getting it. That's all. But I'm here. I'm listening."

"It felt different, Chuck," she admitted, looking past him up at the ceiling and pursing her lips, a weird feeling of discomfort in her chest now. "Events like last night, specifically you inviting me to them, you showing up with me on your arm…that's never really been a part of our relationship before last night. Not to mention the fact that it was so important to you that you were stressed in the days leading up to it." He raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly. "And you asked me to be there with you. At something that's…important for your future, what you want to do with the company. This is going to sound so silly," she said dismissively, rolling her eyes at herself.

"I doubt it. Just say it."

Sarah sighed. "It felt like more than just a guy bringing a date to a work benefit thing. I felt like I was being treated like a…" She might as well use the word she'd been thinking before. "Partner. I felt like you were introducing me as almost a partner. Not like a work partner but, like…in life. Does that even make any sense?"

Chuck just widened his eyes, his mouth falling open a little. "Whoa. Y-You're right. I did sort of…put a lot of weight on our relationship by bringing you to that last night." He licked his lips slowly, thoughtfully. And then he looked down into her eyes. "Should I not have done that? I mean, is that why you couldn't sleep? Did I make you uncomfortable by doing that? Was it too much? Too soon?"

She shook her head just slightly. "No. No, it's not that. I told you, it wasn't bad. I'm not upset. I guess it just felt…big. And I couldn't stop thinking about that. It made it so I couldn't sleep."

"It…does feel big now that you mention it…" he breathed quietly, looking off to the side.

Sarah slid her hand up to his shoulder, feeling a spike of unsureness in her chest. "Now that I've put it into your head, are you uncomfortable with the implications of last night? I mean, the fact that it's a step for us? A big deal?"

A slow smile pulled at the corner of his mouth and he met her gaze again, shaking his head. "I'm not uncomfortable. I'm just sorry that I…" He shrugged. "I guess it just didn't occur to me and I'm sorry. I think it's just a testament to how, erm, well… The way I feel about you is…um, big. My feelings for you are serious. So asking you to be with me for last night, something that was gonna mean a lot for how I proceed in-in my role as the CFO of B.E.C., something I was super jittery about, just felt like the natural thing to do. Just having you around settles my nerves. I wanted you there."

Sarah felt a grin threaten to stretch across her lips, but she kept it at bay. "Chuck, you've made it clear to your family, your friends, everyone at B.E.C. whose desks I walk past to get to your office whenever I'm visiting, that we're in a serious relationship. Last night, it felt like you sort of made it clear to everyone. Including potential stakeholders and people you'll be forming alliances with in the future. I'm not sure if you meant to…but you did. So it just made me feel like…I don't know, I have this nervous energy. Even though I think it's a good thing, and I'm not upset about it, there's still nervous energy here because this isn't anything I've prepared for. I mean, it's so new and different. I've never been in this position before, not with anyone, and I just…I'm dwelling and I know a normal person wouldn't be this…weird about it."

"No, I get it. I get it, Sarah."

"I'm definitely overreacting, aren't I? God." She shut her eyes and turned her face away, wincing. She felt like she was maybe nuts, dysfunctional…more dysfunctional than she thought she was. Maybe this relationship with Chuck had been something that hid her dysfunction for a couple years but it was festering under the surface all this time.

"Sarah, don't do that. Please. Don't beat yourself up and talk about normal people as if normal isn't…fucking boring!" She looked up at him in surprise. "Sorry, I just—I mean, you're…you're extraordinary and that's better than normal. That said, I think a lot of people would have nervous energy about taking a big step in a relationship. I didn't sleep for two days when I was working up the courage to ask if I could tell my family about us being together. It was a big step, especially after all those months of hiding and sneaking around. And I had nervous energy that kept me awake. Didn't mean I wasn't crazy in love with you. It was because I was so in love with you that I had the nerves keeping me awake. It happens to everybody when a relationship is this…good…and deep."

She felt herself melt further into the bed, smiling up at him softly. "I love you."

He smiled back. "I love you, too."

"I'm sorry I got a little intense."

"It's okay. Out of the two of us, I still think I'm typically the intense one, so it's all good. We're just switchin' it up a bit. Role switching. I feel like that's probably healthy for a relationship, don't you?"

"Did you just make that up?"

"Yep."

Sarah giggled and shook her head. She just looked at him for a minute, taking him in, and then she pushed herself up onto her elbow, lifting a hand to the back of his head and pulling him in for a kiss.

She pulled back after a few moments, pecked his lips, and muttered, "I have to say, it was pretty hot how proud you were telling everyone I'm a private investigator."

"Uhhh… Because your being a private investigator is in and of itself extremely hot. And if they don't also think that, they're just plain wrong. Objectively wrong."

Kissing him again, she giggled into his lips, pushing her hand up into his hair and twisting the curls around her fingers teasingly. When she broke the kiss, she bumped his nose with hers. "How hot?"

"Is this one of those 'show, don't tell' moments?" he asked, grinning like a madman.

She nodded vigorously, and he complied wholeheartedly.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Chuck was awake when Sarah finally woke up and peeled herself away from him, carefully fixing the covers over him, and sneaking off to use the shower. He pretended he was still asleep through all of it, and pretended still when she finished her shower and got dressed, padding over to him and leaning down to kiss his jaw before finally leaving his condo.

He popped up to sit on his bed, the sheets falling to his waist, and he let out a harsh breath.

Their early morning conversation had absolutely ensured he did not sleep for the rest of the morning.

Granted, a good hour and a half of the morning had involved vigorously not-sleeping, before she'd finally gone still in his arms, her breathing heavy. He hadn't fallen asleep though.

Instead, he kept thinking about the way they had actually switched roles for all intents and purposes. He was always the one who overthought their relationship, got all trapped in his head, anxious about everything, only to find that the thing hadn't even occurred to her and he'd freaked out for nothing.

And last night, he'd been totally clueless, while she was more than aware of the fact that they'd just taken a step forward in their relationship. Granted, it wasn't as big of a step forward as…some other things. But she was right that it was a big deal.

He'd readily brought Sarah Walker to a benefit with some of the most influential people in Los Angeles, to an event in which making a good impression not just as the CFO of Bartowski Electronics Corporation, but as himself—Charles Bartowski, son of Stephen and Mary Bartowski—was seriously important for where he went from here. Chuck was someone who wasn't necessarily as well-known to these people as his parents were and still had room to make an impression.

And he'd brought Sarah with him, as an extension of him, of his existence. She'd been part of the impression he'd made last night.

For all intents and purposes, Sarah Walker had been a beacon of light in that room. She was clearly the most beautiful person there; he was only human, it felt good to have her beside him, and it felt good to introduce her as his girlfriend. Every indignity he'd experienced growing up as a gangly nerd—getting pushed into lockers, having his backpack emptied into a flooded planter with a broken sprinkler, getting laughed at during his formative years for any number of things, and of course the work he did to help his dad get B.E.C. to where it was now—felt completely worth it as he stood there next to Sarah Walker, not just as her boyfriend, but as hers.

She'd definitely made him proud. She'd risen to the occasion.

Not that he'd thought she wouldn't. Of course she had and would. It was her bread and butter, adapting to different situations.

But it truly hadn't occurred to him that introducing her to all of those people meant he was making it known to everyone that they were in a serious relationship. Now that she'd mentioned it, there were a lot of press there, and they'd taken a lot of pictures.

He wondered if he and Sarah might show up somewhere, in some story, or in a tabloid or something today. He didn't tend to make it into those rags, because he'd kept his head down for the most part since he was old enough to get into trouble. And he didn't intend to start now. But what with being interviewed a few times for articles, and other situations that put a bit of a spotlight on him, he imagined who he was dating might start to make a few rounds after last night.

And that was…kind of crazy, wasn't it?

Would it have an effect on her agency, he wondered? Did people want a P.I. who got her picture taken around LA's top players because her boyfriend was one of said top players? Part of her job—a big part of her job—was discretion.

Chuck sighed and scooted out of his bed, shuffling over to his bathroom to start the shower. He smiled and shook his head at the way Sarah always made the water piping hot, steaming up his bathroom so that he couldn't see himself in his own mirror for half an hour after her shower unless he wiped it down and made the mirror all streaked and ugly.

He had inadvertently pushed their relationship forward last night. And she'd gone with him with both eyes wide open. She'd probably been nervous about it just like he was, but for a different reason, because she saw last night for what it was, while he was completely näive.

Last night had been like their official relationship announcement to the world.

How had all of this happened right under his nose without him realizing it? He'd literally done the damn thing himself!

Either way, he was glad. Let them know. Let them all know that he was in a serious relationship with a brilliant P.I. who just so happened to also be the most gorgeous person in the entire universe. And last night, they'd found out that she was a lot more than that. She'd been charming, warm, intelligent, and a real asset, not just to him, his company, and his family, but most importantly to herself, and her own business. He imagined Walker Investigative Enterprises might end up with a few emails and phone calls after the impression she'd made last night.

As he finished his shower and stepped onto his bath mat, he grabbed his towel and began to dry off. Sarah knew what she was getting into agreeing to go with him last night. She'd willingly walked right into that situation, knowing it meant she was taking a step forward with him in their relationship. Taking their seriousness to a new level. Putting herself in the spotlight as Charles Bartowski's serious girlfriend.

And sure, early this morning she'd been freaking out about it, unable to sleep. He didn't blame her for that. But the fact was that she'd done it. They were here now. It was done. And she wasn't upset. She didn't seem to regret it.

She really was so unlike anyone he'd ever met in his entire life. And he realized as he dressed, pulled his socks and shoes on, and headed downstairs, that he had no idea what had gotten her to the point where he'd met her that fateful day at B.E.C., when she walked in with her tape recorder to complete their first case interview. What had her life been before he'd met her?

What had she experienced in her life that she'd dwelled on last night so much? That she'd been so nervous about the implications of him introducing her to his parents' big wig high society friends as the woman he was in a serious relationship with, not for the sake of her reputation or his, but simply because of what it meant for their relationship?

What were her relationships like before him? Was that it? Was it that he was her first serious relationship so she felt like she was out of her depth? If that was it, he was sure he was way more of a wreck than she was in that department.

Or had something else happened to her that she just found any deep connection with another person to be…different or foreign?

He knew he was slipping right back into his role of the over-thinker in the relationship, so he just rolled his eyes and pushed it out of his mind.

Grabbing his briefcase, he stuck a legal notepad and a few odds and ends he thought he might need into it, before he grabbed his cell phone and called Adisa.

When his assistant answered, he said, "Hey, just wanted to remind you of what the drill was for this week."

"I've got it, Chuck. No worries."

"Okay. Great. Thank you. And if anything comes up, you can call me still. It's just like…if I was working from home."

"Right. Will do." Adisa chuckled then. "She's gonna be so frustrated."

"Yep. She thought I'd forgotten about it by now."

"She should know you better than that."

Chuck laughed. "Right? I never forget."

"Especially not something like this."

"Nope. She is…not going to be happy." And still, he grinned. He grinned when he hung up the phone a few moments later, and he grinned on his way out of his condo.

She certainly wasn't going to be happy.

But he was pretty ecstatic.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

How in the hell was she this tired before her day had even started? It was barely only ten in the morning, and she was exhausted.

Maybe she should give herself more of a break, considering how late that benefit had gone the night before. The implications of the benefit, and her being there as Charles Bartowski's significant other, had put a shot of adrenaline in her arm once they got back to his place, and the sex had been frenetic. And then she'd had the worst time trying to get to sleep, dwelling as hard as she had over all of it. Fixating.

Now here she was at the office, ready to fold her jacket under her head, splay herself out on her couch, and just sleep instead of doing any actual work. That was a cracking use of her time on a work day, wasn't it?

Anyway, she was between cases. Who cared if she slept at work?

…Future Sarah Walker cared if she slept at work. Because there were cases out there for the taking and she needed to be seeking them out. She needed some damn money to pay her bills, her rent, and to keep from having her exceptionally rich boyfriend pull something partnerish again, in the wrong way, throwing his money at one of her landlords or at the electric company, the city, to keep her off the street and keep the lights on.

Trying to push Chuck out of her head, as hard as it was especially after early this morning revelations about just how serious this relationship was, Sarah sauntered out into the entry office and decided to put some coffee on. This would help at least. Especially the way she made it.

Chuck was way better than she was at fixing drinks, and that included coffee, but this morning, she'd take her habit of brewing it extra strong over the perfect ratio he typically provided.

She stood with her hands propped on the folding table where she kept her coffee maker and condiments, leaning forward, hunching, letting her chin fall to her chest, and she breathed deeply, starting to smell the scent of the coffee beans boiling fill the room. Thank God.

She already felt a little more awake.

And then she would set herself to the task of trying to promote herself, get her agency in front of people's faces, and get herself a new case. She owed it to herself, after all of the hard work she'd done to get this agency at least somewhat off the ground, as much as she knew it wasn't nearly where she needed it to be.

The door opened behind her then and she straightened up, spinning on her heel to greet what she hoped would be a new client, pulling her shoulders back, lifting her chin a bit. She sighed and sagged again when she saw Chuck standing there, but she couldn't keep the smile off of her face even if she had seen him a mere two hours ago when she left him sleeping in his bed.

She carefully perched on the edge of the table and braced her palms on either side of her hips, tilting her head. "Well, well, well—What-what are you doing?" He was looking very business-like in the way he was moving. It was…weird.

"Sorry I'm late. Had to get a few things done first, but I'm here and ready," he said, and she threw the most confused look she could muster at him as she watched him hasten to the desk that had gone unused for the entire time Walker Investigative Enterprises had existed.

Without saying another word, he leaned down so that his face lined up with the desktop, and then he gave a massive puff, blowing a cloud of dust off of the surface and up into the air. He let out a cute little cough, waving his hand through the air and giving her a bit of a matronly disappointed look, presumably for having not kept the desk dusted. She glared, opening her mouth to ask him what in the hell he was up to.

But he cut her off by lifting his messenger bag up over his head and putting it on the desk, immediately tugging a laptop out of it and setting it down next to it.

"Chuck…?" she asked, watching him as he grabbed the wooden chair that had been left behind, blowing dust off of that as well before scooting it up to the desk and plopping down on it. "Chuck," she tried again.

He looked up at her and smiled, folding his arms on top of the desk, before he exclaimed, "Oh!" And he grabbed the messenger bag, sliding it down to rest somewhere at his feet, before he posed like the straight-A schoolboy with his arms folded on the desk again peering up at her innocently. "So?" he prompted. "What's on the docket?"

"On the docket?" she asked, amused to no end. "What are you on today?"

"Life, Sarah Walker, P.I.. I'm on life." He spread his arms out and grinned at her, making her melt a little, even for how astronomically confused she was by whatever…this was.

"Uhhh. Okay. What are you doing here? I mean, it's…" She glanced at her watch. "…after ten. Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Counterpoint." He lifted his right pointer finger. "I am at work."

She nearly snapped What?! But then what he'd said actually settled in her brain. She widened her eyes and slowly pushed herself to her feet again, her hands on her hips. It didn't take her long for her to realize what was going on here. "Oh dear God, Chuck. Really?"

"Yes. Really."

Now?

Out of all the times for him to cash in his winnings from that bet on the night of his birthday party, he waited this long and then just showed up? And on the same day as their having a very early morning serious chat about the status of their relationship, about this life-partnership their romance had become right under their noses without either of them noticing or even discussing it. Well, they'd discussed it this morning. And now here was Chuck Bartowski, mere hours later, sitting at the desk where her maybe-someday-assistant would probably be sitting, an almost cheeky look on his face.

"This is not happening right now, Charles Irving Bartowski."

He tilted his head and made a dubious noise. "It really seems like it is, though."

"It isn't. I really don't have time for this silliness. Don't you have actual stuff to do at B.E.C.? You're, like, the CFO of one of the biggest tech companies on the planet. Surely you have more important things to focus on that aren't…calling in a bet to tease your girlfriend."

Chuck made a show of thinking about it. And then he shook his head. "Nope."

"That's a lie," she laughed.

He just grinned at her, not responding.

"Was this premeditated? Or did you just wake up this morning and decide to do this to me?"

"Premeditated? Oooooo, using the crime lingo on me already. God, I'm so excited about this job!" He drummed his fingers on the still dusty desk in excitement, his grin widening. She just barely was able to stop herself from laughing.

"How are you like this?"

"Just lucky I guess!"

Oh my God. She could hit him. She could kiss him.

Mostly she could hit him.

"You didn't answer my question. Was this a planned attack or spur of the moment?" She wasn't sure why it mattered but it just did. She wanted to know.

Chuck shrugged, crossing his arms at his chest. She realized for the first time that he had a three-piece suit on, the jacket and waistcoat matching grey with a red windowpane check pattern. She'd remember if she'd ever seen him wear this before because it would've knocked her back on her ass, like it was doing now that the shock of witnessing his antics had faded and she was actually getting a good look at it.

Coupled with the dark, almost black tie and its hints of red check there, the crisp white button up beneath, and the way he was looking at her with a certain amount of confidence.

Sarah Walker, private investigator, was actually a bit speechless. Which was okay for now, because he still hadn't answered her damn question, the sexy jerk.

"Oh it was premeditated, to be sure, but not by much. I mean, I was going to do this eventually. I don't make bets like that lightly. I just decided it'd be today…yesterday." He narrowed his eyes. "Or was it the day before yesterday? I don't know. Either one."

She mimicked his pose, crossing her own arms and walking up so that the desk was between them, stopping and looking down at him. "I see. And the get-up?"

"Oh! You like it?" He slapped his palms on the desk and surged up to his full height, almost dancing his way around to her side of the desk and tugging on the bottom of the jacket to straighten it, turning to the left so that she could see the full presentation. She bit her lip in appreciation, her blue eyes taking him in slowly, even leaning to the side and tilting her head so that she could get a good look at the way his backside looked in the pants.

"Is that wool?"

"Yeah. Nice and warm."

"It's…a bit much for the occasion…don't you think?"

Chuck frowned a little, looking down at it. "Huh. You think so?" He pursed his lips, then reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a…

"Oh my God, Chuck…"

He inserted the bit of the smooth, brown wood pipe he'd just taken out of his pocket between his lips and raised an eyebrow. "So this is also probably too much, huh?" he asked around the pipe, his teeth clenched around it.

"Oh my God," she repeated, laughing. "You're ridiculous! You got this stuff in just, like, one day?"

Chuck narrowed his eyes, a long pause stretching between them. She raised her eyebrow. "Maybe…"

"You drive me nuts. You know that?"

"Thanks." He smiled widely and she could only giggle, shaking her head. "No, really, should I dress it down a bit? Maybe I can lose the tie, unbutton the waistcoat… ruffle the hair." He reached up to muss up his curls. "Just wait for me to grow out a five o'clock shadow. That'll really complete the look."

"What… look is this anyway?" she asked, still unable to keep herself from checking him out. How this suit managed to make him look taller and more muscled, she had no clue, but it did, and she was really losing this battle.

"I was angling for season one Remington Steele." He wiggled the pipe and she snorted, shaking her head again as he stuck it back in his mouth. "I thought that was the better option than later seasons Remington. I thought a full-on tux with the bowtie would be too much."

"And the literal pipe wasn't?"

He looked down at the pipe still sticking out from his lips and blinked at it, then looked up and blinked at her. "Touché."

Sarah finally laughed, reaching up to pluck the pipe out from between his teeth, setting it on the desk beside them. "I don't know what in the hell you did to me, Chuck Bartowski. I mean, you really did a number on me." He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in question. "Three years ago, I never would've found any of this attractive. Cute? Maybe. But full-on hot? Not a chance."

Chuck smiled slowly, reaching up to loosen the tie a bit. "Oh yeah? That part about three years ago sort of insinuates that things are different…now…"

"They just might be…"

"Does that mean you think this is hot?" He gestured to himself with a wave of his hand.

Sarah bit her lip almost salaciously. "Oh, absolutely."

She could see him bite down on the inside of his cheek to keep from letting her see the massive grin she imagined he normally would've struck her with. And he arched an eyebrow with a quiet, "Hm. Hot enough that you might consider locking that door there and—"

"Don't push your luck, Bartowski," she interrupted, feeling absolutely ridiculous for blushing. Her man in this stupid wool suit was doing things to her though and she hated how easily he'd gotten her.

He let out a giggle as she helped him undo the tie, pulling it off with a tantalizing swish and tossing it onto the desk beside the pipe. Then she unbuttoned one of the top buttons of his shirt. "That actually feels a bit better, not gonna lie. I was choking a little bit this whole time."

Sarah snorted, rolling her eyes at him. And then she stepped back and raked her blue eyes down his body to his Italian leather shoes and back up again. "Hm. It's a good thing you're already mine, or I'd have to fire you."

He gave her a slow, dreamy look. And then what she said dawned on him. "What? Why?"

"No way could I keep an actual assistant around when I'm this sexually attracted to him. That's unprofessional and there'd be a serious power imbalance that doesn't sit well with me."

Chuck gaped at her as she stepped around him then, heading straight for her office.

She thought she didn't feel all that tired suddenly. As annoying as Chuck popping up like this to force himself on her as an "assistant" to call in that damn bet she made with him on his birthday was, it was a welcome diversion.

Not that she'd ever tell him that.

Her nerd wearing a suit that made him look like this would always be a welcome diversion too.

Sarah didn't say anything else to him, leaving him in her dust as she went into her office and walked around her desk to plop down in her comfortable chair, pulling it up to the desk and opening the file of the last case she'd worked on, intent on completing the paperwork before slipping it into the filing cabinet where it would remain for her own records.

But then he swept into her office as well, plopping down in the chair across her desk where clients typically sat. "So are we doin' an interview or something like that, or…?"

Smirking, she sat back against her chair and arched her brow. "An interview? I thought you allegedly already had the job…"

"Oh, I do. But, you know, everyone needs job training on Day One."

She smirked harder, then quashed it as best she could, reaching up to scratch her temple idly. "You know what? You're right. Let's get started then." She folded her hands together on top of her desk, then jumped a bit when he snapped his fingers and burst up to his feet, dashing into the other room.

He came back with his bag in hand, rifling through it with his other hand. And then he plopped back down in the chair and produced a notepad with a pencil, putting his bag down at his feet. "Okay, ready."

Sarah clamped her lips between her teeth, trying to put on a serious front. "Ah, taking notes I see. Do you know shorthand?"

He gave her a blank look. "I-I don't, but—Well, the job you posted on Indeed dot com didn't say anything about shorthand knowledge being a requirement."

Why was he like this?

She cleared her throat. "Fair enough. Here's my first question to you, Mister, ah…" She raised her eyebrows.

"Bartowski. Charles. But you can call me Chuck."

"Mister Bartowski," she pronounced slowly, arching her eyebrow, "What is it you think the job of being the assistant to a private investigator might entail?"

Without pause, without even blinking, he said, "Well, first and foremost, it's to make sure that you stay hydrated."

She couldn't keep a straight face. It was too hard. He was too cheeky, too funny. Too adorable. Too maddening.

Before she could respond, he snapped his fingers again and set the notepad and pencil down on her desk, hurrying into the other room. She heard the quiet thunk of Chuck taking the coffee pot out of its holder to pour. This part, she might be able to get used to. Her eyes drifted down. He'd already written on his notepad the words 'Keep the boss hydrated."

She didn't even know what to do with herself, he was so cute and weird all at once. Like a child, but in the best way. So extraordinary, one of a kind…a complete goofball. She loved him so much, it kind of hurt.

He came back with a cup of coffee, steam rising from it, and he set it in front of her. "There's your cup of Sarah Walker coffee. So strong it just made my nostril hairs wither carrying it over here."

"Ew, Chuck."

"You're welcome."

He sat back down and picked up the notepad, crossing one leg over the other and propping the pad on his knee, pencil poised. "What's next?"

She sighed, shaking her head again. "You're enjoying this way too much."

"Impossible." He stuck his tongue beneath his teeth and grinned. "What's the case, gumshoe? How can I help? What do you need? How's the coffee?"

"Oh my God, calm down." Sarah held up both hands. "I haven't even tried the coffee yet." She sipped it. "Strong as hell."

"Need anything in it?" She gave him a look. "No. Right. That's what I figured. See? This is working out perfectly, Walker, P.I.. If you hired some random John or Jane Doe off the street, they wouldn't already have how you like your coffee right here." He tapped his temple with the eraser end of the pencil. "Not to mention, I'm very attuned to your habits and mood."

"Are you?"

"Mhm yes I am."

"Because someone who's very attuned to my habits and mood probably would've figured out by now how annoying this all is to me." She raised both eyebrows.

Chuck winced and let out a whistle. "Ouch. Right. That's fair. That's very fair." He jotted something down and she was suddenly very curious to know what it was.

"And if you think I'll be giving out references, you've got another thing coming." This really was annoying, but she was also pretty amused by his antics, too, and she was between cases, and her morning had been lacking color so far, and she wanted him to know she was mostly teasing with him. So she pursed her lips, twirling a pen between her fingers. "Also, if you don't think there is going to be some point in the future where you'll be required to wear this full get-up, pipe included, in the privacy of one of our homes, you've got another thing coming."

He looked both ways over his shoulder, then uncrossed his legs, putting both feet flat on the wood floor, sitting up straighter. "This is the stuff dreams are made of. You realize that, right? I've found me a woman who's turned on by a wool three-piece suit, a pipe, and a smolder."

He gave her said smolder and she almost snorted.

"Lose the smolder maybe and we've got a deal."

"You don't like the smolder?" He pouted.

"Ugh, fine. Keep the smolder." She shrugged then. "So I love me a smartly dressed man who looks extra brainy. Sue me."

"I won't sue you, actually, because I reap all the benefits." He smirked slowly.

"All of them?" She raised her eyebrow jauntily, before she leaned closer, folding her forearms on top of her desk. "Here's the biggest thing I'm going to need from you, Mister Bartowski."

She could see the desire in his eyes, that slow smile that never failed to make her heart thud in her chest, her body buzz.

"Yes?" He leaned in too.

Sarah let there be a beat, the heat flaring up between them. And then she grabbed the file she'd had open on her desk and spun it around towards him. She sat back again, a business-like air to her, and waved her hand at it, swiveling in her chair to wake her computer up. "Read off those numbers under the payment plan for me, please. It's a lot quicker this way."

To his credit, while he did chuckle in amusement, he read the exact numbers she needed to hear. And they continued like that for at least ten minutes, actually getting work done.

The man was good with numbers, which wasn't at all a surprise. But the surprise came when her phone rang and he quickly dove for it, snatching it up and holding the receiver to his ear.

"Walker Investigative Enterprises, this is Chuck, how can I help you today?"

Sarah sent him a wide eyed look and got up from her chair to walk around the desk and tower over him, her hands on her hips, ready to chastise him.

"Mhm. I see." His eyes flicked up her figure to her face and he smiled. "Yes, absolutely, we do take walk-ins, but due to the high demand of Miss Walker's private investigative services, it might be beneficial for you to make an appointment with me. I'm her personal assistant." He winked at her.

Her jaw dropped.

"Yes. Oh, of course. Absolutely. Let me pull up her schedule here for ya. Just one moment." He bobbed his head back and forth, pursing his lips, then stopped, all business again. "I have an opening here for tomorrow, say around one-thirty. Does that work for you, sir? It does? Wonderful. All right, we'll see you tomorrow at one-thirty. And your full name one more time? Thank you, sir. You have a great day." He paused, letting out a light, friendly chuckle. "All right, sir. You too. Bye-bye."

Chuck hung up the phone and folded his hands behind his head, leaning back against his chair.

And all Sarah could do was gape. "Was that a client? Did you just schedule me a client for tomorrow?"

"Yes." Then he winced, lowering his hands again. "Well, I mean, no. That was Adisa. I paid him to do that. But do you think I did good? How was I?"

Sarah's jaw dropped again, but this time for a completely different reason, and the hilarity of what he'd just done hit her in just the right way. "Are you serious? That was Adisa?"

"Yes, but…ah! Ow! Stop! Hey!"

She grabbed his notepad from the desk and started smacking him lightly over the head with it as he cowered, laughing uproariously.

"I can't believe you actually did that, you freaking ass!" she exclaimed through the laughter. He managed to catch the notepad in midair and yanked it out of her grip, tossing it over his shoulder and out of her reach, but that didn't stop her as she made her hand into a fist and began to rub her knuckles vigorously in his curls.

He let out a squeal, cracking up, trying to fight her off, and he must've discovered that he had a good half of a foot on her height-wise and that it'd be a lot harder for her to noogie him if he was standing, so he surged up to his feet, catching hold of her wrist and forcing it down behind her back.

Before she could figure out how to turn the tables on him without actually hurting him, she found herself pinned to her desk.

"Don't you dare make this into a sexual thing," she said through peels of laughter.

That made him laugh even harder as he leaned over her and let go of her wrists. She wrapped her arms around him, throwing her head back with a full-on guffaw as he pressed his lips to her neck.

But then he pulled back, his brown eyes glinting in the sunlight squeaking through the Venetian blinds behind her desk, and he smiled down at her.

"What?" she challenged in faux toughness, jutting her chin out at him.

He simply gave her one of those supremely soft looks that were so purely Chuck Bartowski, and she found herself softening right along with him. And then he leaned down to kiss her.

There was heat immediately.

And there wasn't much else she could do but kiss him back, so that was what she did.

The rough material of his suit scratched against the pads of her fingers as she rubbed her hands along his back, and she could feel his weight press down more against her, blanketing her in his warmth.

She felt the buzz in him, and she was on the fence about how much further she should let this go, because she was serious about her rule about not having sex in her office. But he also felt really good and he was slowly running his fingers up her thigh towards the hem of her skirt. And then she felt him wandering underneath the skirt and her eyelids fluttered.

Breaking the kiss with a gasp, Sarah squeezed her eyes shut tight. This wasn't at all professional. Anybody could walk in. It could ruin her reputation…

He cupped her face in one hand again and his fingers drifted further up under her skirt as he pulled her lips back to his.

Riiiiiiing ring ring…

They both jumped and she pulled her lips from his. Saved by the bell. And yet, she just barely bit back a frustrated curse. Because she'd really wanted this.

"If that's Adisa calling again, I'm kicking you out of this window."

He chuckled against her jaw, pulling his hand out from under her skirt and bracing both palms on the desk on either side of her so that he could angle his torso up away from hers, looking down at her. "I only told him to call the one time. But if it was him, would you really ruin the blinds we worked so hard to install?"

She let out a giggle, allowing him to help her sit up. Before he could step away from her, she trapped him between her thighs, forcing him in close, and she reached behind her to answer the phone.

Bringing it to her ear, she draped her free arm over Chuck's shoulder and got comfortable against him. "Walker Investigative Enterprises, this is Sarah Walker speaking."

"This is Sarah Walker?" the voice asked.

"Yes, this is. How may I help you?" She finally loosened the grip she had on Chuck with her thighs and let him step away so that she could be the professional she swore to herself she'd always be.

She decided to pretend she wasn't this close to allowing herself to christen her desk with her boyfriend mere moments earlier.

"My name's Mark Macklin. I own Macklin Construction. I believe you do private investigative work?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Macklin, that is my business." Chuck sent her a wide-eyed look, then spun in a circle, scanning the room, before he scrambled over to the corner where he'd thrown the notepad after she'd started using it as a weapon against him. He grabbed it, picked up the pencil from the floor as well, and rushed back to her side, ready to take notes.

She bit her lip as Mark Macklin continued.

"I have some…ehhh…discreet business I would like to discuss with you. I need a private investigator but I'd prefer to…discuss it in private. Not over the phone, see."

"Of course. I pride myself on being discreet, Mr. Macklin. Would you like to schedule an appointment to come to my office where we could discuss your problem in more detail?"

"Ah. Yes. That would be preferable. When?"

"Would one-thirty tomorrow afternoon work for you?"

Chuck smirked at that and she glared at him.

"Perfect. Yes."

Sarah gave him the address, told him the floor her office was on, and they hung up, the appointment made. Chuck punched his fists over his head in celebration as she bit her lip, smiling.

"That's a real client with a real appointment," he said, holding his hand up for a high five. She giggled and slapped his palm with hers. "Congratulations on the new case, P.I.."

She tried not to get too caught up in the pride in his handsome face, instead simply giving him a look. But then she slid back down off of her desk and straightened herself out, patting the updo she put her hair into this morning, hoping their shenanigans hadn't mussed it.

And then she walked around to the other side of her desk and sent him a long look.

If he was going to be here, she decided she might as well use him. (Not like that.)

"Well, personal assistant. How good are you at research?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic."

"Good. We're going to create a dossier on Macklin Construction, and on its owner, Mark Macklin."

He clapped once, determination on his face, and he darted back into the other office to grab his laptop, dashing back to the other side of her desk and setting it there, plopping down to get started. She watched him with a small smile on her face, wondering what kind of a monster this was unleashing.

Hoping this wasn't a precedent being set.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

A/N: Noooooooooooooooooooo, no there's no precedent being set. Nope. (shakes head with a smirk) No precedent whatsoever. Hehe she's in big trouble. And frankly, she should know better. You know? Like, it's Chuck, for God's sake. She should know, you open a door like this with him, there's no way it can be shut. Good luck out there, Sarah Walker, P.I..

Stay safe out there, folks. I'll be back soon.

-SC