A/N: Yeah, it's after the Super Bowl in real life but my brain wouldn't cooperate. Sorry.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

He was sweating, and didn't dare wipe a drop of sweat off of his head. He swallowed as he slowly connected the two wires. "I think that's it," came the booming voice from the other side of the room. "I think you did it!" A cheer arose from everyone watching him. Chuck blew out a breath. Crisis averted. "AWESOME! We're gonna watch the Super Bowl on the Big Screen!" The kids cheered and the adults all smiled.

It was still early at the center, the game wasn't scheduled to start for a few hours. Chuck thought this was the last place he would be today. It wasn't that he still held a torch for his former girlfriend, but…this was the place they had met…and the place she had met…him. Chuck blew out a sigh. It wasn't either of their faults that they fell for each other. They had been very upfront about how they felt about each other, and how Jill didn't feel anything like that for Chuck. Apparently they had had the same conversation with Bryce's then girlfriend.

Chuck had seen Bryce's ex a few times, working with girls in self-defense, and with self-esteem. Chuck wondered if he needed a class in that. He chuckled to himself. He had wanted to talk to Bryce's ex, Sarah he thought her name was, but their schedules rarely matched up at the center. Chuck wanted to compare stories with Sarah, not because he didn't trust Jill and Bryce, but he wanted to be sure they had not been harsh with Sarah. He didn't know why, but it bothered him more for Sarah them himself in this whole mess.

Jill and Bryce had quit volunteering at the center, the two said they felt a little uncomfortable. Chuck couldn't help but giggle about that. Almost every adult in the room had been introduced to the center by Chuck. And while Chuck had never been anything but kind and friendly to Jill and Bryce after Chuck and Jill broke up, there was obvious irritation in the room toward the two, and what they had done to Chuck.

"You'd of thought you defused a bomb the way Devon reacted," Chuck heard behind him. He spun, and saw the grinning face of the woman who he thought her name was Sarah. "I mean, it's nice, but there is another TV."

"I know," Chuck said in a low voice. "But, Captain Awesome had his heart set on me getting this projector set up so that we could use this huge screen." Chuck shrugged as if to say, "what do you do?". "Chuck Bartowski," he said, extending his hand, and then quickly yanked it back. "Sorry, got a little sweaty back there."

"Sarah Walker," she replied, and gave him a concerned look. "Was it that nerve wracking work?" Chuck looked confused. "You fixing the projector? You really are sweaty."

"Oh, no, there's no real air flow back there, we probably should get a fan and make sure it doesn't overheat," Chuck admitted, looking over at the projector. He turned back to Sarah. "Hey, can I talk to you a minute?"

"Funny, I thought we were talking," Sarah said to him, a grin forming on her face. "Maybe I learned the wrong word for talking." Chuck shook his head at himself and grinned. "I would go on, but that would be mean."

"Go ahead, I deserve it," Chuck replied, not knowing when he enjoyed being teased more.

"No, because if I do it will come off as me thinking too highly of myself, and sounding like a pompous ass," she said with a bit of irritation on her face. "Sorry, I somehow managed to hit a nerve of my own."

"Did Bryce say that?" Chuck asked.

"What, Bryce? No," she replied chuckling. "I've been meaning to ask you, hence why I came over here-"

"Not because I sweat too much and you thought I would cramp of dehydration?" Chuck cut in, making her smile.

"I mean, I did wonder if I could rent you out to water my lawn the next time there's a water shortage, but I'm not sure what salt water would do to my grass," Sarah admitted.

"So you're saying I'm better at refilling the ocean?" Chuck asked.

"It would seem," Sarah replied. "So, about-"

"Hey, you two," Ellie said walking up to them, with an apologetic wince on her face. "We need to start getting the food ready."

"Right," Sarah said. "Talk later?"

Chuck nodded. "Absolutely. I'm going to go find a fan for this projector-"

"No, you're going to go shower," Ellie told him. "Sarah and I can take care of the fan. I brought a change of clothes for you because I know how you always get roped in to doing these kinds of things and feel unclean the rest of the night."

"Thanks, El, you're my favorite sister," Chuck said, going to hug her but her pushing him away, making Sarah laugh.

"Go," Ellie said, pointing. "I'm also you're only sister!" she called out after him. Chuck waved his hand, acknowledging her, never stopping. "Sorry I ruined your flirting," she said to Sarah in a low voice.

"I wasn't flirting," Sarah insisted, giving Ellie a look.

"Oh," Ellie said, nodding, but her face saying she didn't believe Sarah. "Well, whatever you were doing, it was the happiest I've seen him in a bit." Sarah twisted her lips. "Thank you," Ellie said, squeezing her bicep and heading off. "I'm gonna go find that fan."

}o{

"I do hope my sister didn't make you work the kitchen because you're a woman," Chuck said, making Sarah snort. There were ten people prepping the kitchen, six of them men.

"Nah, I just chop really well," Sarah said, finishing slicing the cucumber quickly, grabbing a piece, popping it in her mouth, grinning the whole while.

"I mean, that's pretty fuggin cool if I'm honest," Chuck admitted.

"You might have a low bar when it comes to things being cool," Sarah told him. "I should hang around you more often, you're good for my ego."

"I would chat, but I saw taskmaster just a second ago, and I'm supposed to be the welcome person at the front door."

"You are pretty welcoming," Sarah agreed. Chuck gave her a look. "What?"

"That was nice, thank you," Chuck told her.

"You're welcome, and there's Ellie," Sarah said, pointing across the way with her knife. Chuck scrambled off, making her laugh.

}o{

Chuck was sitting on a stool, the counter to his back, facing the screen, his mind wandering. "Anyone sitting here?"

"No one I can see," Chuck replied, grinning at Sarah. "Now if you sit and here someone yell, it would either be a ghost, an invisible person, or someone that is stuck in two dimensions at once." Sarah shook her head at him. "No wonder Jill broke up with me," he muttered, making Sarah laugh.

"It doesn't matter who you are, if they aren't the one, they aren't the one," Sarah said as she sat. She was silent for a second, concentrating. "Hear anything?"

"If you mean your stomach growl, at least I hope that's what that was and not that you have a Wookie inside you, no," Chuck said, making her sputter with laughter. "As far as anyone yelling about you sitting down, didn't hear a thing." They sat there a few seconds in comfortable silence. "You know, that was quite deep."

"Your sister told me that a few weeks ago," Sarah admitted.

"Huh," Chuck replied, taking a drink. "She told me that I should count my blessing because Jill was worthy of me."

"Well, she's not Thor, and you're not Mjölnir," Sarah said with a shrug, taking a drink and watching the big screen the entire time. She nearly laughed out loud as Chuck choked and whipped his head to her, his eyes bulging out of his head. "Okay, that was pretty cool."

"What was?" Chuck asked, not sure what was going on.

"Your reaction," Sarah told him. "Ellie bet me a dollar that I couldn't work Thor and Mjölnir into a sentence talking to you, and if I did, that your reaction would be priceless."

"Well done," Chuck admitted. "Okay, so what's the thing with words, and Ellie getting you to use certain words…." Chuck slid off of his chair. "Is Ellie the one making fun of you?"

"No," Sarah said, giving him an amused look. "And if she did what are you going to do?"

"She knows better," Chuck told Sarah. Sarah studied him, the amused look never leaving her face. "You don't treat people that way."

"She didn't Chuck," Sarah said softly. Chuck nodded and began to take his seat. "I have a linguistics degree." Chuck turned toward her quickly, nearly missing the seat of his stool. "From Harvard," she added. He nearly toppled the stool over.

"Oh, God, that makes earlier even funnier," he said, laughing. He noticed Ellie watching them out of the corner of his eye, a grin on her face. "Did she try and set you up with me?" he asked, sounding tired.

"No," Sarah told him. "But, she did tell me, that I did need to find someone like you." Chuck gave her a confused look. "Someone who appreciated what I did, who celebrated me, who could make me laugh."

Chuck sat there quietly. "You know, I've been concerned that Bryce and Jill did you wrong. They said they talked to you first, but…I hope they weren't harsh."

"They weren't," Sarah said shaking her head. "And Bryce and I…" she trailed off, blew out a breath and looked over at Chuck. She gave him a warm smile. "We weren't right."

"I know that feeling," Chuck said, nodding. They sat there quietly watching the game.

"So, you think maybe we could hang out some time?" Sarah asked. Chuck's eyes widened as he turned toward her. She giggled, seeing him and her smile intensified. "You know, you seem like someone who appreciates me for me, and you make me laugh." Chuck grinned, started to say something and shook his head. "What?"

"Nothing," Chuck said. "What I was going to say could be construed as mean."

"Oh, well now I have to hear it," Sarah insisted.

"So, I'm just a place holder to entertain you until you find the right guy?" Chuck asked, her grinning. "It sounded funn-"

"I didn't say all that," Sarah said softly but warmly. "I like you, Chuck." Chuck nodded, unable to speak. "I mean…we don't have to."

"How do you feel about Mexican?" he asked quickly.

"There's all sorts of food here, Chuck," she replied, grinning madly.

"You are seriously gonna make me do this, huh?" he asked her. She bounced a shoulder, shrugging. "Fine, Sarah Walker, would you like to go to dinner with me?"

"I'd love to," she told him. "Think we could try a Mexican restaurant?" Chuck shook his head as she laughed.

A/N: Take care friends