A/N: You have asked for it, and I am writing it. Do you remember 1989? While this is AU, I'm trying to stick to some cannon parts the best I can. There may be tears… fine, I'm gonna cry at some point. There will be flat-out angst in spots, and if you read the one-shot you will know exactly where I mean. We're doing all of that, not to rip our hearts out, but to take this journey. If you're here, thank you. I'm gonna need you on this one. Ch 1, 8th Birthday.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
"Jenny," Emma called down the hallway. "Jennnny," she called again. "Damn you, Jack," Emma grumbled under her breath. "Sarah!"
"Did you call, mom?" Sarah asked, peeking her head out of her bedroom door.
Emma blew out a breath of frustration. She was her father's daughter. Everything had been fine until Jack had blown into town, almost a year ago. Then, he took off with Jenny, never telling Emma, and disappeared for six months. By the time they caught him, he'd changed Jenny's name to Sarah, and Sarah blamed Emma for Jack being in prison.
Sarah was as headstrong as her father, and fiercely loyal. They had come to a truce, of sorts. Sarah promised not to run away, so long as she could remain Sarah. Emma didn't care what she called her daughter, so long as she got to have her. The move to Burbank, and moving in with Emma's mom, had not been ideal. But her mom was sick, not getting any better, and needed her help. She knew if Jack got out, he'd stay far away from Ellen Truffaut.
"I'm going to work, you behave for your grandmother," Emma ordered, grabbing her purse. "I'll take you to school in the morning, and get you signed up for classes."
"I don't want to go to school. I didn't have to when I lived with dad," Sarah countered.
"Sarah, this isn't up for negotiation. You have to go to school, so you can grow up to be what you want to be, Sweetie."
"I want Dad, Mom. Don't you want Dad?"
Emma walked over to Sarah, squatted down, and took Sarah's upper arms in her hands. "Sarah, sometimes people lie to get others to do what they want; to give them money, to… well, they do it for all sorts of reasons. I loved who I thought your father was." Emma moved the hair out of Sarah's face. "You know he lied to you, too."
"Did he lie when he said he loved me?" Sarah asked, a tear in her eye.
"Sarah, I promise you, he loved you the best way he knew how." She pulled Sarah into a hug. "I have to go to work, okay?"
Sarah nodded, and watched her mom leave. That was the thing about her mom; she always came back. Her Dad never did.
}o{
"Granny, who are those two boys?" Sarah asked a half-hour later, watching out the window.
Ellen peered out of the window as well. "Oh, that's Chuck Bartowski and Morgan Grimes," she answered. "Morgan's having to move today. His mom and dad got a divorce, and she and her son are moving back to her mom's place back east."
"They look like they're crying," Sarah said, watching the two, filled with curiosity.
"They're both losing their best friend," Ellen said. "Wouldn't you cry?"
"Boys aren't supposed to cry," Sarah said. "That's what Dad said."
"I bet you can learn more from Chuck Bartowski than you can your dad, Sweetie," Ellen told her. "Why don't you go introduce yourself?"
"They don't know me," Sarah replied, a little glum.
"Sarah, Chuck Bartowski has never met a stranger. Now go."
Sarah shrugged and headed outside. She walked across the street and approached the two boys.
"You take them," the tall one said. He was shoving what looked to be two huge dolls into the hands of the shorter kid.
"No, I can't, you take them."
"I won't do it, Morgan," the tall one said. He had to be Chuck, Sarah surmised.
"Why are you two playing with dolls?" Sarah asked. They both looked up at her, somewhat surprised anyone talked to them, much less that it was a girl doing the talking.
"They're action figures," Morgan replied. "This one is Chewie," he said, holding up the brown one with plastic fur. "And this one is Han," he said, holding up the human-looking one in black and white clothing.
"Why don't you each take one?" she asked. They gasped in disbelief, simultaneously. "What?"
"They're us," Morgan explained. I'm Chewie, and he's Han." Sarah thought for a second.
"Then why don't you take Han, Chewie," she said to Morgan. She turned to Chuck. "And you take Chewie, Han. That way, you'll never be apart." Chuck just stared at her.
"Morgs, she makes a lot of sense," Chuck said.
"She does, buddy, she does," Morgan replied. They traded figures, and then they hugged each other. They let go, tears in their eyes, and Morgan hugged Sarah.
"What are you doing?" Sarah asked.
"I'm leaving, so I needed to hug Leia goodbye," Morgan explained.
"Morgan!" Chuck yelled.
"Sorry… goodbye, Chuck." Morgan turned to Sarah. "Goodbye… what is your name?"
"It's Sarah, Morgan," she said, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Morgan hugged her again, turned, and looked at his friend.
"Vicki Vale, Vicki Vale, Vick, Vick, Vicki Vale." Chuck shoved him, and then pulled him into a hug. Morgan headed toward the station wagon. He got in, and Chuck came over to stand beside Sarah. As the car pulled away, Chuck and Sarah waved.
"He is strange," Sarah said. "What was that weird chanting?"
"Very strange, but he is my best friend," Chuck replied. "That was the Vicki Vale line from Batman. Have you seen it yet?"
"What's 'bat man'?" Sarah asked.
Chuck stared at her for a moment. "It's a movie… probably best if you go see it," he replied. "I'll go with you, if you want." He paused a second and then realized he hadn't introduced himself. "I'm Chuck." he said.
"Sarah. Sarah Walker." She had never met someone as open as he was. Dad clearly wouldn't have approved.
"Did you just move here?" Chuck asked. Sarah didn't say anything, thinking. "Sorry, that could be creepy, and I don't want to be creepy."
"You're not creepy, just… nice," Sarah admitted. "Granny said you never met a stranger."
"Granny?" Chuck asked. Sarah pointed to her new home. "OH! Miss Truffaut? She's awesome! She makes the best cookies."
"I've not had any," Sarah admitted.
"What?" Chuck replied, stunned. "Come on," he said, leading her to her house. Chuck knocked on the door, but Sarah tapped him on the shoulder. Chuck moved out of the way. Sarah opened the door and led him in.
"Chuck Bartowski!" Ellen said. "What are you doing here?"
"I just met your granddaughter, and she said she hadn't had any of your cookies."
"I thought we talked about this, Chuck. You can't be telling people about the cookies," Ellen scolded, playfully.
"But Miss Truffaut, it's your granddaughter!" Chuck protested.
She chuckled at him. "Come on," she said, leading them both into the kitchen.
"I didn't know you made cookies, Granny," Sarah admitted.
"Well, you've been holed up in your room since you've gotten here," Ellen said. "Maybe if you came out, you'd have met this nice young man sooner."
"Can she come with me to see Batman?" Chuck asked. "I'll be glad to pay."
"Like a date?" Ellen asked, grinning at him.
"Oh, no Ma'am! I'm too young to date." Chuck looked at Sarah. "You know what, she probably wouldn't even like it." He slumped a little. "I'm so used to Morgan doing all those things with me."
Ellen studied him for a moment. "I'll be right back, Chuck," she said, patting him on the shoulder and walking into the other room. Sarah watched him, his shoulders slouched. She found she didn't like it when Chuck wasn't happy.
"What it's like having a best friend?" Sarah asked.
Chuck grinned and raised his head. "It's THE BEST." Sarah smiled at his enthusiasm. "You can tell them anything, and they don't judge. You have a friend no matter what, someone you can count on. It's not like Morgan wanted to move, he had to. I'll miss talking to him, and hanging out. He always had my back."
"He seemed a little short to cover your back," Sarah said, thinking about the height differences.
Chuck gave her a look. "I mean, no matter what the odds were against me, he was with me."
"Oh, that sounds… nice," Sarah admitted.
"Haven't you ever had a best friend?" Sarah shook her head. "That's terrible."
"Can a boy be a girl's best friend, and a girl be a boy's best friend?" Sarah asked.
"I don't think there's a rule against it," Chuck replied. "Although I think when they get older, they kiss and date and stuff."
Sarah shook her head. "No," she said softly. "I don't want that, because when people start kissing, they start fighting with each other."
"Well, I guess that could be your best friend rule," Chuck replied, shrugging.
"No kissing?" she said. Chuck nodded. "Okay, then, would you want to be my best friend?" She paused a second, and then added quickly, "And no kissing when we get older."
"What about Morgan?" Chuck asked.
Sarah thought for a second. "You can kiss him if you want."
"No, I meant he's still my best friend," Chuck reminded her.
"Do you think you could have two best friends?" Sarah asked. Chuck thought about it and nodded. Sarah smiled. "Thank you, Chuck."
"Hey, sport, I see you met a new friend," Stephen said, as Ellen walked him into the kitchen.
"I did," Chuck replied. "Dad, this is Sarah, and she's never had a best friend. So, since Morgan isn't around, I'm going to be her best friend."
"That's…" Stephen looked to Ellen, who shrugged. "That's good, son." He turned to Sarah, a soft smile on his face. "Sarah, can you do me a favor?"
"I don't know, I don't know you," Sarah said.
"Sarah, this is Chuck's dad, Mr. Bartowski. He's been a good friend and neighbor for years," Ellen explained.
"My son… well, he's missing Morgan." Sarah looked at Chuck. "He really likes that movie Batman, but I really don't want to watch it with him again. Would you go in my place? I'll buy the ticket, and popcorn."
"As friends," Chuck said. Sarah nodded and turned to Stephen.
"As friends."
}o{
Sarah sat with Emma at the school the next morning, humming Batdance. "I think we're done," Miss Jones said, smiling at Emma and Sarah. "Are there any questions?"
"Can I be in the same classes as Chuck?" Sarah asked. Miss Jones looked over at Emma.
"He's her friend," Emma explained. "Chuck Bartowski."
"Oh, sweetie, no. He's going to be in third grade and you're going to be in second grade," Miss Jones explained.
"Then I want to be in third grade," Sarah replied, shrugging.
"Sweetie, it doesn't work like that," Emma said.
"Dad would have gotten me into third grade," Sarah said, not to be mean, but because it was true. The path of least resistance, when it came to Sarah, was the path followed. "He's my only friend."
Miss Jones had a look on her face that Emma caught. Emma nodded for her to continue. "There are tests…"
}o{
A few hours later, Sarah was still humming Batdance. "So now what?"
"Well, you did well enough to be in third grade…" Miss Jones began. She glanced at Sarah and then back to Emma. "But, she might struggle in some areas."
"I don't want to see her get behind," Emma said, preparing for the fight.
"I can get her in the same class with the Bartowski boy, and he could help her…" Miss Jones said. "He helps a lot of kids."
Emma gave Miss Jones a look. "He's a young boy," Emma began. "Why… what …"
Miss Jones grinned. "Here's the thing: Chuck wants everyone to succeed. He's willing to go the extra mile, and with Morgan moving away…" She looked over at Sarah. "What if we try it for nine weeks, and if it doesn't work, we move her back?" Emma nodded slowly, thinking. "Perhaps you should talk to the Bartowskis." Emma had a look on her face. "Trust me, where Chuck is concerned, they've had stranger conversations."
}o{
"So, what's that?" Sarah asked, pointing to a poster on the wall.
"That's my Tron movie poster," Chuck said, grinning. "That's my and Dad's favorite movie."
"Can we watch it some time?" Sarah asked.
"Sure," Chuck replied. Emma had come over to the Bartowskis, after assurances from Miss Jones that it was okay. She was telling Mary and Stephen what was going on, and seeing if they had any suggestions. Chuck showed Sarah his room in the meantime. "I'm sorry about Morgan the other day."
Sarah looked up from his transformer collection. "What about?"
"Well, Morgan implied you were Vicky Vale, and then he said you were the Leia to my Han," Chuck explained. Sarah was still confused. "He thinks you should be my…"
"Oh," Sarah said. "It's not your fault, Chuck," she said, shrugging. She was silent for a bit. "Do your parents ever fight?" she asked softly.
"I mean, yeah, but, don't all adults fight, sometimes?" Chuck asked.
"Does yours ever leave?" Sarah asked.
"No," Chuck replied. "They might get mad, but eventually they aren't, and then… they kiss a lot."
"My Dad left, and last time he took me," Sarah said, looking out the window, and thought about how her dad had taught her to break into a similar design. She was sure she could this one, as well. "I liked being with Dad, it was fun. We got to go places, but, we never could stay."
"You miss him?" Chuck asked. Sarah nodded. "If you ever leave again, will you tell me goodbye?"
Sarah turned, and looked at him. "I will… and I'll still be your best friend," she said. She walked over and hugged him.
"What are you doing?" Chuck asked.
Sarah looked at him. "You hugged Morgan." Chuck thought about it, decided she was right, and hugged her back.
}o{
Ellen led Sarah into the comic book store. "Now, we need to find Chuck a present," Ellen said. "What does he like?"
"Everything here," Sarah replied. Ellen chuckled. The remaining summer had gone well. Chuck and Sarah had become inseparable. She taught him how to ride his bike; he worked with her on some things for school. Mary and Stephen had no problem with Chuck helping Sarah, and told Emma she was welcome at their house any time. Sunday dinners soon included three new spots, as Ellen, Emma, and Sarah were included.
Ellie and Sarah were slowly becoming friends, as well. Ellie was happy that Chuck had a friend, and admitted to Sarah that she kind of missed Morgan, as well, but she couldn't tell Chuck.
"Well, can you find something he doesn't have, that you think he might find special?" Ellen asked.
"I can try," Sarah said, and for the next forty-five minutes, she scoured the store. Everything she thought he'd like, she thought he might already have. She looked up at the bored cashier. "Excuse me," Sarah said. The teenager didn't roll her eyes, but it seemed it took an almost-Herculean effort on her part not to. "I need to find something for a friend, that lost his best friend. Is there some other comic that has something like a Wookie?"
"Only Star Wars has Wookies, kid," the cashier replied.
"But are there any other furry characters?" Sarah asked. "Something that has a best friend, the way Han and Chewie were?"
"What do you want, Friendship Bear from Care Bears?" the teenager asked. Sarah's eyes lit up. "Seriously?"
Sarah nodded.
}o{
"Granny, I can't go to Chuck's party," Sarah said, the morning of the party. "I've read the comic book, and it's nothing like what he likes."
"I don't understand, you thought it was perfect," Ellen said, confused.
Sarah held up the comic. "Granny, it was supposed to be something that would remind Chuck of Morgan, since Morgan was Chewie. But these are just bears that… well, they're not something Chuck would like."
"Well, your best friend is expecting you, and if you don't go, it will hurt him," Ellen said, upsetting Sarah. "Go, wrap the present, and tell him why you bought it."
"But he'll hate it," Sarah protested.
"Sarah, give him a chance. If you tell him why it made you think of him, he may love it," Ellen replied. "Tomorrow, we'll make him a cupcake with a candle in it, since that's his actual birthday."
Sarah nodded, and put the comic in the paper bag. She taped the bag shut, making sure not to get any tape on the comic. She walked over to Chuck's house, and opened the door… they did say she was family, after all. She came inside, and saw Mary.
"Sarah! Good to see you, you're the first one here. Chuck's in his bedroom."
Sarah went down the hall to Chuck's bedroom, and found him sitting on the bed working on a huge Transformer. His eyes lit up when he saw her.
"Sarah! Look, I got an early birthday gift! Mom and Dad gave me an Omega Supreme Transformer and the Transformers Movie!" He hopped off the bed, went over to the door, shut it, and came back. "They say bad words in it," he whispered, conspiratorially. Sarah's eyebrows raised. "You're coming tomorrow too, right?" he continued, in a normal voice.
"Why do you get two birthdays?" Sarah asked.
"I like my friends, but I want my family with me on my birthday. So that's why we're having the friend party today, and the family comes to Sunday dinner."
"I'm not family, Chuck," Sarah replied.
"Sarah! Of course you're family," Chuck replied. "You're my best friend, you belong in this family." Sarah blinked away tears. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"No, I got you the worst gift ever, and I did it because I thought it was a good thing," Sarah began.
"Hey, whatever it is, it's fine. I don't need anything from you… only that you're here," Chuck said.
Sarah thrust the bag out to him, and he took it. "I asked for another comic that had wookies, or something like them. The cashier told me about these bears, and one of them was friendship bear, and I thought…" Chuck pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you, Sarah," Chuck said softly. "Thank you for thinking of me and Morgan. I love it."
"You like Care Bears?" she asked, pulling away.
"No, I hate 'em. But you… this is a thoughtful gift, and that, I appreciate." He took the comic, and placed it on the bookshelf.
"You only put the most valuable comics there," Sarah said.
"I know," Chuck replied, grinning at her. Sarah smiled at him.
}o{
The next afternoon, there was a knock on Chuck's door.
"Chuck, go answer the door, it's probably for you," Mary said. She and Stephen stood in the hallway where they could watch. He opened the door, and Sarah stood there with a cupcake in her hand, a single candle burning atop it.
"Happy Birthday, Chuck."
A/N: I really hope you guys are enjoying this, because… it's gonna get rough as we go. I've alluded to things in the one shot, and we will explore them all, plus Jack is far from done in this story. Reviews would be lovely. Do you want me to keep it going? Is this what you were expecting? DC