You know all those mistakes you do when you're young and stupid? Well, I've done plenty. But I couldn't see it at time, I promised myself I would do whatever it took to get her back.
And I did.
"Chuck! You burnt three generators!" She screamed, which called the attention of the people around them. The brunette's expression was not a happy one, she ran her hand across her hair, took deep breath and hissed "I want to help you, but that gets hard when you dismiss my orders like this." She grabbed his collar and whispered in his ear. "And faking my signature is not going to help you." She withdrew and started walking away.
"All you want is the money." She turned around and glared him.
"Excuse me?"
"That's right, you know once this project is up and running you're going to be richer than Bruce Wayne hims-"
"In case you have forgotten-" She interrupted him "I am already rich. And Bruce Wayne is not a real person." She looked at him and evaluated his appearance, and as always he looked like crap. His hair was disheveled and there were dark circles around his eyes. "You know how many people in the world have this kind of project, Chuck? How many people work with particle accelerators? None. Only you." Before she could notice her face was already inches apart from his. "I believe in you, I think you're brilliant. That's the only reason we're funding your crazy ideas."
"You think my ideas are crazy, Jill?" Chuck asked and backed away from her.
"No, but they do." Chuck swallowed hard and she continued. "They want to replace you, Chuck. They think you've gone nuts. They want to put Arnold Bloch as the new team leader." Chuck held his forefinger up and opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again.
"I'm creating a new type of energy. There's no Arnold Bloch who can replace me." He affirmed cockishly. Jill shook her head in disbelief.
"You know, there was a time when I used to like you. You were fun and pleasant and… cute. But now…" She looked him up and down. "Now you're just a sad arrogant prick. I guess people do change."
Chuck looked over her shoulder and his eyes turned unfocused, he tried to remember the guy he used to be, the guy Jill was talking about, but he couldn't. He could write a book about how to be sad, self-indulgent and how to push people away. Be a happy, enjoyable, family guy? He'd lost that person a long time ago.
It was 8 p.m. and Chuck parked his car and headed to his apartment. The elevator from the building had been broken and his apartment was at the fourth floor, so there were 60 steps in the stairway to reach the hall… Yes, he had counted. He stepped in, closed the door, dropped his keys at the counter and pressed his voice mail button.
"Hey Chuck, it's Ellie, how have you been? I miss you little brother, give me a call. Love you."
"Chuck it's me again, why haven't you called me? it's been two weeks. I wanna talk to you."
"Chuck. Dinner this Saturday at my place. I know you're busy but can't you manage sometime in you your schedule to come? We miss you. And… could you please return my calls, is that too much to ask? I need to know if you're alive."
Chuck sighed, grabbed his phone and dialed Ellie's number.
"Chuck, is that you?"
"Hello to you too sis, I'm sorry I haven't returned your calls, I've been really busy."
"Chuck a call would not take that much of your time. I'm worried about you, you're too sucked up at work, you need some fresh air and go out a little." Chuck didn't say anything, he knew his sister was right, but he couldn't, he needed to stay focused.
"Sis, I've-"
"Come have dinner with us this Saturday. Even Clara is asking for her uncle Chuck."
"Ellie, Right now I can't, I promise once this project is over I'll pay you guys a visit. But right now I need to stay focused. If you knew the magnitude of what I'm doing, how important…"
"Okay Chuck, I understand, just promised something."
"Yeah?"
"Don't draw yourself too much… I know you said what you did was important, but please don't turn into dad, don't forget the things that really matter."
After his shower, Chuck draped a towel around himself crossed the door between the bathroom and his room, collapsed over his bed and faced the radio over his night stand. He turned it on. He knew the music going and smiled. Oh, the irony.
Every time I get no further
How long has it been?
Come on in now
Wipe your feet on my dreams
You take up my time like some cheap magazine
When I could have been learning something
Well you know what I mean
I've done this before
And I will do it again
Come on and kill me baby
Whilst you smile like a friend
And I'll come running just to do it again
His eyes started getting heavy; he wasn't listening to the song anymore. He was thinking about what the song reminded him of. If only things could have been different… That all he could think about.
You belong out there, saving the world. I'm just not that guy.
How many times you have to be a hero to realize that you are that guy?
I want more, Sarah. I want a life. A real life.
Chuck, I don't wanna save the world, I want…
She never got to finish that sentence…
"They offered me the position, Chuck." Chuck stared daggers at him.
"Arnold. You traitor."
"But I didn't accept it."
"Stupid." Chuck started walking towards the end of the hall and Arnold followed him.
"Where are you going?"
"To get what's mine."
"What are you-" Chuck stopped in his tracks and turned around. "No, you don't. You can't. You need authorization from the university, the mayor maybe even the president to reach full charge…" Chuck pushed Arnold against the wall and the scientist's eyes widened in surprise.
"Arnold, you're the only one who knows the real reason why I'm doing this. You know I don't care about alternative types of energy or how rich I might get. I have to go back in time."
"I know I told you this before, but you're insane." Chuck gave him a subtly grin while opening the door from the lab. He approached the computers and started pressing buttons franticly.
"Now I have access to the city's Energy Company." He put on glasses and a cap while he walked towards the machine "Press the start button once I'm inside." Arnold did so and the machine started spinning, Chuck's body disintegrated and he disappeared. Before the city went blackout he looked at what year, moth and day Chuck had adjusted to.
27th of April, 2009.
Chuck could hear the sound from the music, the guests talking and could see the blur of people dancing, he was lying on a sidewalk, and once he got up he saw Bryce walking away with a man in a black suit. This must be the man dad was talking about being presumed dead. I'm barely on time.
Chuck rushed to reach his father before he could reach the Chuck from that universe.
"Dad, wait!" Chuck grabbed his father's shoulder and turned him around. He could see the other Chuck and Sarah dancing, just like he was five years ago. He looked at the shocked face of his father by seem him.
"Am I delusional? That must be a negative reaction from the flash I just had…"
"No dad, you're not. I'm Chuck from a parallel universe; I created a time machine so I can prevent the future from repeating itself." Stephen's mouth was hanging open, and his eyes were wide in disbelief.
"But… That's impossible."
"You created a computer that can be put in a person's brain, what I did is just as possible." Orion turned his head to look at the other Chuck.
"Look, as fascinating as this is, I need to talk to the other Chuck, I think his friend is in trouble."
"First of all, Bryce's not my friend, Second of all, the reason I'm here is to stop you from doing that. Go for Casey, he can help you."
"Why?"
"Because I love that woman, and by doing that you're going to ruin every chance we have to be together. In my world I don't have her and I'm miserable. Please dad, I need to change the course of my life."
"Very well son, if it means so much I won't bother them."
"I want more Sarah; I want a life, a real life." He stopped dancing and looked at her.
"Chuck, I don't wanna save the world. I want to stay here. With you. I want a normal life too. Her eyes looked at his, pleadingly. "There is, if you'll have me." Chuck did a double take and let her words sink in, once he did he realized the crushed look she showed and he crushed his lips on hers to make sure she knew he would most definitely have her.
He didn't know how much time they stood there just kissing each other. But honestly, he didn't care.
At that moment, Chuck from the future started disintegrating again. He had changed his fate. Now was time to go back to the future, only this time, the future he hoped… Or was it?
The second part of this story will be posted tomorrow if I get enough reviews, good or bad, please tell me what you think. :)