A/N: I know what you're asking. Is the guy who always writes that the two are going on a date, actually having them go on a date? Naeiou…..maybe?

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

He walked into his sister's apartment, and couldn't help but smile. It was home. It smelt like home, with the pot roast baking in the oven. It felt like home. There was just something about being at Ellie's that made him feel safe. Sure, he might have his own apartment, but Ellie…she was his sister, his family. He began to chuckle as he saw the table.

"Expecting Morgan?" Chuck asked, as he came into the kitchen to give his sister a hug.

"No," she said with a slight look of disgust as she pulled away from the hug. "Why in the world would I invite him?

"I mean you're cooking pot roast, so…Morgan's known to smell it from miles away," Chuck pointed out.

"He's out with Anna, and you know what happened last time they were on a date and he insisted on coming over here with her," Ellie said, a grin on her face. She picked up her glass and took a sip of wine.
Chuck looked past her and saw a few bottles chilling. "Ahhhhh," he said, nodding. "Sarah's joining us."

"Anything wrong with that?" Ellie asked, an eyebrow arched.

"No," Chuck said raising his hands defensively. "I know she's your bestie, and it's your house, so whoever you want is fine."

"Sorry," Ellie said, blowing out a rough breath. "It's….it's just she had a bad date last night."

Chuck looked at the wine and then the oven where the pot roast was cooking. "What kind of side?"

"Mashed potatoes," Ellie said. Chuck let out a low whistle. "They're easy to make."

"And her favorite," Chuck pointed out. "We know you prefer scalloped." Ellie chuckled. "How bad was it?"

"All I know is she took an Uber home," Ellie said. Chuck winced, opened the fridge and grabbed a beer. He took the top off of the bottle and took a pull. "I just wish she'd go out with someone like you." Chuck started to protest. "No, I don't mean you, just….just someone who would show her what a decent date is like."
"Wow, decent date, huh?" Chuck teased. "Setting that bar pretty high, aren't you?"

She snorted. "You know what I mean. Someone to take her out and just have a good time with her. Take her to a movie she wants to see or to a restaurant she would like to eat at. Just…don't be a creep."

"Okay, in all seriousness, that bar is obscenely low," Chuck told her.

"I know," Ellie said. There was a knock on the door. "Oh, that will be her."

"You look fine," Chuck said. Ellie shook her head. "Should Devon be worried about you and Sarah?"

"Stop," Ellie said pointing at him, and then she turned and opened the door. She didn't say anything to Sarah, she just wordlessly pulled her into a hug, in which Sarah just melted in to.

Eight months ago they had met, and two women, who seemed quite different soon became fast friends. Chuck had watched as the beautiful blond went from a person that didn't seem to enjoy others touching her, to enjoying the hugs his sister so easily dispensed.
"Bro, I assume Ellie told you, but Sarah had a doozy of a date last night," Devon said clapping his hand onto Chuck's shoulders, making Chuck's knees feel like they might give.

"Devon, are you trying to knock me to the floor?" Chuck teased his soon to be brother-in-law.

"I told El, that we should get you two together, but you know your sister," Devon continued.

"I do know my sister, so I have to know what stopped her?" Chuck asked.

"If you two got together and broke up, it would be weird, and then she'd be the reason you two even got started," Devon explained.

"Well, I'm shocked by her restraint," Chuck replied. "Pleasantly surprised, but shocked none the less."

"Me too," Devon agreed. "SAR!" he said, as the two women finally let go of the hug.
"Hey Sarah," Chuck said, waving to her. Sarah nodded back to him, a grin on her face.

}o{

"It's safe," Ellie assured her. They were sitting in the living room after dinner. "No one is going to judge."

Sarah let out a sigh. "So, Brad told me about this spot that his parents just went on and on about, about how pretty it was. He knew how much I enjoyed the lights of the city and just wanted me to see it."

"That sounds like the beginning to a murder movie," Chuck muttered.

"Well, for women dating sometimes is," Ellie told him.
"Noted," Chuck said. Sarah chuckled. "Please, continue."

"So, Brad and I went out to the spot and when we got there, we saw people there with blankets sitting on the grass, and it looked….fine," Sarah continued.

"Again, you're here so you didn't die, but….kinda sounds like a cult," Chuck said.

"Well….." Sarah pressed her lips together and Chuck raised his eyebrows. "He saw his mom on a blanket with a man he THOUGHT was his dad."

Chuck scooted forward in his seat. "This sounds so messy."

"Turns out….Brad's parents…were swingers," Sarah told them. Ellie and Devon burst out laughing and Chuck just dropped his head. "Brad's Dad came and joined the two on the blanket."

"I'm guess Brad didn't know?" Chuck asked.

"No," Sarah said. "And he confronted them…crying…."

"Oh God," Chuck groaned.

"And that's when I decided it was time to take an Uber," Sarah finished.

}o{

"You okay?" Sarah asked Chuck later. He had gone to the kitchen to do the dishes and let the two women talk. Devon was watching some sporting event on TV, which was fine, because Chuck found himself lost in his thoughts. He liked Sarah…a lot. But, she was Ellie's friend and because of that, he didn't dare cross the line of friendship with her, not that he thought she wanted anything more than friendship with him.

He thought about everything Ellie had said that Sarah didn't get on a date, and wondered if there was some way he could do so. He had an idea, but he didn't know how to pull it off without being dishonest with her. She had made it clear that she was done dating for a while, and while his plan to take her out and show her a good time was not being done for romantic reasons, it would be for all intents and purposes, a date.

"Hmm?" he asked, half in his thoughts when she had approached him. He shook his head and answered before she could ask again. "I'm sorry, I was caught up in my head thinking about something," Chuck told her. She took a sip of her water, watching him, an amused look on her face. "You really want to know what I was thinking about?"

"I kinda have to know," Sarah told him. "One second you looked happy, the next you were frowning, and there was just a lot going on."

"It's a new video game that I was thinking about," Chuck told her. She gave him a flat look. "Fine, I don't know how you get things out of me the same way Ellie does. We're not related."

"And yet, again, you are avoiding the question," Sarah told him.

He put the dish he had been washing in the sink to soak, grabbed a towel, and dried his hands. He turned to her, took a deep breath and began. "I think we both know my sister adores you."

"And I her," Sarah replied.

"God, you two together are about insufferable," Chuck muttered, shaking his head and grinning.

"I think you'll live," Sarah told him.

"You know she wants you to be happy," Chuck continued.

She reached over to his arm, horror on her face. "She didn't ask you to take me out did she?"

"No, Sarah," Chuck told her. Relief covered her face. "But she did say she wished you would go out with someone like me just to have a good time, and I was thinking if you weren't doing anything tomorrow, I do need help finding Ellie a birthday present. I know you just said you didn't want to go out with anyone, but I was going to do it in a way you didn't know, but then that's taking away your agency." She stared at him for a minute. "Sorry, was that too much?"

"You Bartowskis," she said, affection in her voice, a soft smile on her face. "You don't have to ask me on a pity date."

"It was not a pity date," Chuck told her.

"Kinda sounded like it," Sarah said, chuckling. "And, really, you don't have your sister a birthday present? That's a bad lie, Chuck."

"Oh, that part is completely true, I don't have a birthday present for her," Chuck told her. "And, for the record, if one of us were to take the other on a pity date, it would be you taking me out on a pity date."

"Wait," Sarah said. "We have a lot to unpack in all of that, but we need to focus on something. You don't have a present for your sister?" Chuck shook his head no. "Damn it," she swore, and blew out a breath. "I don't either."

"Well, I would ask you to go with me tomorrow to find her something, but….can't." Chuck shrugged, trying not to laugh. She looked around, found a napkin on the counter, wadded it up, and threw it at his face. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," Sarah replied. "So, a couple of things."

"Why is always lists with you?"

"Why are you the only person to notice I make lists?" she countered.

"Seriously, where do you find these guys you date?" Chuck asked.

"Apparently at the bottom of the barrel," she drawled. "Chuck, why in the world do you think you would be a pity date?" Chuck looked shocked. "Chuck, you are kind, you are funny, you care about people."

"Usually that's what people are looking for in a pet or a friend," Chuck told her.

Sarah shook her head. "Okay, so, pick me up in the morning about ten?" Sarah asked.

"For what?"

"For our shopping expedition," she told him. "That is totally not a date."

"Wait, will we eat?" Chuck asked.

"Probably, because knowing us it will take most of the day for us to find what we are looking for," Sarah told him.

"Aren't you going to the movies tomorrow night?" Chuck reminded her. "That horror movie you like is coming out."

"It's being rereleased," Sarah told him. "Like you have room to talk, 'Mr Star Wars/Trek/Gate/Light/whateverthehell else you can come up with'."

"Probably best this isn't a date," Chuck said.

"Right," Sarah agreed, tipping her glass in his direction. "Anyway, I was just going by myself."

"You go to movies by yourself?" Chuck asked, crossing his arms onto the counter, and leading toward her.
She mimicked the move, leaving their faces about a foot apart. She grinned at him. "Like you don't?"

"Going to a sci-movie by myself is one thing," Chuck told her. "Going to those movies by yourself…" he shuddered.

"Well, I was supposed to go with Brad, but…"

"He was probably more shook up with what he saw on your last date than what he would see on that screen," Chuck said. Sarah laughed. "Is that where you find them? On horror movie message boards?"

"Listen, I don't spend time arguing with other people on movie message boards," Sarah retorted.

"I don't either," Chuck replied. She just watched him, grinning. "Not anymore at least." Sarah laughed. "You know I've never seen one of those movies."

"Wanna come with me?" she asked. She held a hand up before he could say no. "I mean, it's totally not a date, so there wouldn't be any pressure to act a certain way in front of a date."

"Sarah…you think I would act any differently on a date than I would right here?" Chuck asked, making her laugh again.

"No," she replied, grinning at him. "No I don't."

"IF I went with you on this scenario that is totally not a date," Chuck began.

"If," she said, nodding.

"You wouldn't tell my sister how loud I scream?" Chuck asked.
"Oh, I absolutely would," Sarah told him.

"Okay, not looking good so far," he muttered, making her chuckle. "What if, in a moment of terror, I might….bury my face in fear on your shoulder so I don't have to look at the screen."

"Do I get to pat your shoulder and mockingly say, 'There, there, it will be all right?'"

"I mean, you could, but I should warn you, touching me when I scared like that, might initiate a physical response," Chuck warned her.

"You might punch me?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, no," Chuck replied. "More of….well….this." And with that, he moved back, pulled his arms up to his body, pulled his head back, shut his eyes, and was making quick slapping motions. Sarah roared with laughter. He moved back to where he was, a smile on his face. "I'm guessing that might upset the mood of the theater."

"Okay, I need you to go with me to this movie," Sarah told him. "I'll go with you to one of yours."

"No," Chuck said, shaking his head. Sarah looked surprised. "First, I don't need you asking me during Avengers 39, to tell you the back story of all the previous movies, plus the individual character movies," Chuck told her.

"What if you prepared me a dossier?" Sarah asked.

"Or you could just watch all the previous movies with me," Chuck told her.

"While I am on a break from dating, that doesn't mean I never want to date again," Sarah told him. "I'd have to watch six hundred movies!"

"No," Chuck said shaking his head. "More like four hundred and fifty movies, forty-five television shows and fifteen specials."

She leaned closer. "That's like serious boyfriend level commitment," she told him.

"Yeah, I'm kinda in a cult now and can't get out," Chuck admitted, making her laugh. "You'd really have to be in love with someone to do that."

"I'm asking for one movie," Sarah said.

"That sounds like a date," Chuck teased.

"No, absolutely not, not that I would object to dating you," she said.

"Wait," he said, cutting her off. "Date me? Sarah…wouldn't it be weird?"

"Why, because Ellie is your sister?" Sarah asked. Chuck nodded. Sarah shrugged. "I mean if we broke up, yeah, it would be weird not to see you around here." Chuck narrowed his eyes. "Chuck, come on, you think she's not taking me over you if we broke up?" Chuck snorted, and began to laugh. "Make you a deal, if you come to the movie with me, I will buy you dinner afterwards."

"That really sounds like a date," Chuck said, and he hurried on before she could say anything. "I worry you might have certain expectations."

She grinned at him, and he swore her eyes sparkled. "Oh, I do," she said in a low voice. "I expect you to act like yourself."

"Got it," Chuck said, nodding. "You want me screaming in terror."

"Yep," Sarah replied, laughing. "And, I'll watch the first movie of your comic book thingys with you."

"Wait, that sounds like a date," Chuck warned her.
"Oh, totally not," Sarah said. "You're just helping a friend, experience something for the first time." Chuck's eyes went wide. "That sounded better in my head," she muttered, laughing at herself.

He held out his hand, and she took it. "Totally not a date tomorrow."

"Totally," Sarah said, shaking it. "And, why don't I pick you up? I know you like riding in the Porsche."

"Yes, because it's known for so much leg room," Chuck told her. Sarah began to laugh. "No, I do like it, it's fine. Pick me up at ten?"

"Absolutely," Sarah said. "And if your sister asks, I guess we have to tell her it's a date since we're out shopping for her."

"That would be a birthday present in itself," Chuck told her. "You dating her brother? Pfft."

"That would be the cheaper option," Sarah muttered. Both of them began to laugh. Neither of them noticed Ellie watching them from the other room, grinning.