A/N: For those that don't know, Cryptids are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science. AKA Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, etc. You're still here? It's because of the eventual Charah, isn't it? I get it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

She walked over to his room, and gently pushed open the partially closed door. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at a photo. It was a picture of him and Bryce, both having their arms draped over the other's back. It looked like two brothers, happy. The look on Chuck's face as he stared at the picture was the furthest thing from happy. There was pain there, sadness. Hurt. She knew that hurt. She had experienced that hurt so many times in her life.

The times her dad wanted her to be his buddy, and not his daughter. The times she had to do things for a bad man, in Langston Graham. She didn't know which was worse. The lives Graham had her take, or the lives he had her destroy. There were things worse than death, and in her job, she had learned that.

She didn't know what to say to Chuck. She wished she did. Not only to comfort him, but maybe, finally, she would know what to say to herself. She just had to get through this and then… then she was done. She didn't know what she would do. She didn't know if she belonged with the human race. She wanted to disappear forever, and she didn't know if she ever wanted human contact again.

As she watched him, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time: The need to comfort someone else. She had forced herself long ago to cut off those feelings. She wondered if that didn't make her psychotic. She didn't know the answer to that. She only knew that here, standing in the doorway of the bedroom of this man that had been through so much and still refused to be anything but kind, she felt things she didn't know still existed.

She felt human.

"You know," he said softly, having never looked at her, but just staring at the picture, "I used to think… you ever seen A Christmas Carol, or some version of it?" he asked as he turned to her. She saw pain in his eyes. Hurt. Deep hurt. She nodded, not trusting her voice. "I always thought one day, I'd be minding my own business, and another me would appear, accompanied by a ghost... one of the Christmas spirits."

In the short time she had spoken with Chuck, she had heard about ghosts and zombies, and the spirits of Christmas. She couldn't stop the small grin on her face if she'd wanted. What was it about this man?

"I always thought I'd never hear what they say, until the very end, when the other me would scream, 'Oh, I'm sorry spirit, I will change my ways!'" He paused for a second. "And then, they'd just fade away, and I'd be sitting there like, wait, what?" Chuck grinned for a second, making her grin. He sobered up and continued. "But that implies something that is completely untrue. It implies I had a choice in changing things."

He blew out a breath, and Sarah felt like she had been punched in the gut. "I get it, I have stayed here, protecting myself for four years. I thought I had done something to him. I thought I had wronged him in some way. I lay awake, many a nights, replaying over and over and over everything we did, and wondering what in the hell could I have done to have him lie about me like that."

He was silent for a moment, and when he continued, the emotion in his voice nearly broke her. "And the truth is, it was nothing I did." There was a silence. "I did too well on a test, apparently. I wasn't ever given a choice."

The silence hung between them, and Sarah didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to comfort him. She didn't know what to do.

No one was more surprised than her, when she heard herself speak.

"You know, I did have a choice," she said softly. v"And obviously, I made the wrong one." Chuck looked up at her, and she found herself staring at a spot on the far wall. She couldn't look at him and tell him what she was about to, but she felt like he had shared something so personal, so… intimate, that she had to reciprocate somehow.

"When I was sixteen…" She stopped and shook her head. Blowing out a breath, she keenly felt the emotions she had covered up all those years. "I was in high school," she said softly. "I was in high school, and my dad… my dad had me join him on cons." She couldn't see Chuck's face, she refused to look at it, because if she did, she didn't think she could finish. She felt him watching her, and though she couldn't see, she felt as though… there was compassion… not judgment, not pity, but honest compassion.

"I pulled up after school to see him being arrested." She was silent for a moment, and when she continued, she felt she had the strength back in her voice she needed to tell this story. "So, I did what we had always practiced. I ran. I drove to where the secret stash was. I had money, I had the means to get away, and the skills, but in that moment, that was when I met Langston Graham." She could feel him watching, again, with nothing but compassion. "He told me I had a choice." She looked at Chuck. "I could go with him and become an agent, or I could go to jail."

"That's no damn choice," he said softly but fiercely. She felt something in her lurch. She felt like the bedrock of what she thought was the foundation of her life, lurch. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke, it was at normal volume. "That's not a choice. That's a threat."

"It was a choice," Sarah began.

"I'm sorry," Chuck cut in. "It's not. But, can we back up? Your father… he took you on con jobs?"

"It was my decision," Sarah argued.

"Wait, you were how old when you started that?"

"I… don't remember," Sarah admitted. "I just always did. People think little girls with blond hair in pigtails are trustworthy."

She saw his eyes widen. "I don't wish to speak ill of your father," he began. He was silent for a moment. "You know what, yes… Yes, I do. That was terrible. And I should know terrible parenting. Mine left when I was in school, but… that may be worse. Yeah, mine left, but yours stayed and dragged you into trouble and then got you involved in the Kobayashi Maru."

Sarah stood there a moment. "I'm sorry… the what?"

"The Kobayashi Maru," Chuck repeated. "It's a no-win situation."

"I'm not familiar with that term," Sarah admitted. "It that from Sun Tzu?"

"No, James Tiberius Kirk," Chuck told her. Sarah gave him a look. "It's from Star Trek."

"And that makes it better?" Sarah asked. Chuck couldn't help but grin. "But, yes, it was a no-win situation."

"Seems like men in your life have been letting you down for a very long time," Chuck observed.

She was silent for a second, her sight set on the picture she was holding. She looked him in the eyes, and in that moment, she found herself doing something that shocked her. Then again, given how the past few minutes had gone, it did not. "Oh, it gets worse. My ex-boyfriend, he's in that picture you're holding."

Chuck looked at the picture, then back at her. "I mean, makes sense. He did always get the best girls," he said. He realized what he said, and she thought he was going to correct himself or take it back or something, but he didn't. "I'm going to assume he wasn't the best boyfriend."

"No," she said softly, but firmly, making him laugh. There was silence, a comfortable silence between them. "I don't mean to rush you, but we have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, I know, but… this has been a lot, you know?" Sarah nodded. "I was going to ask if we could do this tomorrow, but… I have to work, and…"

"Chuck, you do know there is a settlement coming your way, right?" Sarah asked. Chuck eyes widened. It was apparent he, in fact, did not know a settlement was coming his way. "Chuck, it's a big number. You don't have to work at the Buy More ever again."

"How big a number?" Chuck asked.

"Neither you nor Ellie need to work anymore," Sarah said. Chuck's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "You were… done a huge disservice."

"I'm guessing I need to keep my mouth shut about some things?" Chuck asked.

Sarah grinned. "I was probably supposed to have you sign some forms before I told you a lot of what I told you, but… I trust you."

Chuck gave her a soft smile. "Why do I feel like being trusted by Sarah Walker isn't something that happens a lot." She gave him a shy smile in return. He mimed zipping his lips and she nodded. "Look, obviously you don't need my help, and perhaps, given my current mood and place in life, I'm not one to give advice, but…"

"But you're gonna anyway?" she teased.

"Well, now I'm not," he replied. She giggled at that. She was stunned she had giggled, then stunned again at how much he grinned at her giggling. "I was just going to suggest a song."

"A song?" Sarah asked.

"Wait… do you not know what music is?" Chuck asked her, unable to help himself.

"I am aware of music… I may not listen to much, but I am very aware of it!"

"My bad," Chuck told her. He was quiet for a moment. "When I was in a bad place, and feeling… like I had been let down, I used to listen to a Kesha song called Praying."

"I'm not really the religious type," Sarah began.

"You know what, it's not, and it's none of my business," Chuck told her.

She smiled at him. "And all I know about you is probably none of my business either, so…" She winked at him, and he grinned. "I'm going to give you my card, and if you need me, call me." Chuck nodded, got up and followed her to the living room. Ellie and Morgan were gone, but he felt like they were watching him. She thrust her phone at him. "Put your info in there, and I'll call or text you to see when we can meet again."

"Shouldn't you already know that, given how you spied on me?" he asked, grinning as he put his info into her phone. He handed it back.

She took it, giving him an amused smile. "Who says I don't, and I'm not just verifying it?" Sarah asked. His jaw dropped and she laughed. "Have a good day, and you let me know when you're ready to talk."

"I will," Chuck said, walking her to the door. "Hey, Sarah," he said, making her turn. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what happened to you. You didn't deserve that."

"You didn't either," Sarah told him. "Goodbye."

"Bye, Sarah," he said. He watched her walk off, as he closed the door.

}o{

The camera cuts to Chuck in the interview chair

"And that's the day my life changed… I mean, it took a bit, but… that was the beginning, at least for me," Chuck said.

"So you knew she didn't know Star Trek or Kesha, and you still fell in love with her?" Morgan asked, from off camera. Chuck shook his head, got up, and walked off. "Chuckster… Buddy! BUDDY!"

A/N: So, I've written very little because I'm in the middle of FAFSA season, and if you've seen anything about FAFSAs, you know it's a FREAKING NIGHTMARE! (It might be worse that the first half of season 3. I'm serious.) It's like you're still here waiting for something…oh. You want a preview….FINE.

The bell to his left rang, and he turned, wondering why the person just hadn't said something instead of ringing the bell. He turned and saw the smile on her face before he noticed anything else. She had her phone extended towards him. "Can you fix a phone?"

"Sure," Chuck answered, confused. "What's wrong with it, Sarah?"

"Apparently it doesn't work since I've not received nary a text or a phone call," she replied, a grin on her face. She batted her eyelashes, making him chuckle. "Why are you at work?"

You know I just love adding my little tweaks to the show where I can. I'll try and get back to this quicker.