Chuck versus Chuck
Time is how we measure the progress of existence and events in relation to past, present, and future, but when time doesn't stick to its usual pattern of progression, it is incongruous. This is a story of time being incongruous where the present and the future collide between two locations, into one time, for a time changing experience.
In a not so distant future, of only half dozen years or so, a man stands speaking to his wife.
It is a normal discussion about their plans for the future and where there old friend will fit into it. Circumstances have revealed that he isn't dead again and will be intruding on their lives once more. They wonder what this will mean due to their past relationships with him and how long they will have to figure it out before he disappears into the great unknown again.
He is special, so they are willing to try, it is the how to treat the situation that has them puzzled. Do they simply address the past bluntly and move on to the future? Or should they be more delicate by trying to ease him in as the friend he once was?
There are some rough spots in the past that make it difficult to choose. For instance, when he kept trying to pursue a relationship with Sarah, or when he kept shoving Intersects into Chuck's head, even after there were kinder means of having him protect it.
They couldn't go back into the past to undo Bryce's actions… but could they go back into the past to change their reactions?
Back to the present, the Bartowsi family and friends weren't doing anything special. They were simply sitting around the living room and playing a game.
It was a favorite game where they took turns guessing at each other's answers to personal questions like interests, perspectives, and feelings. A familiar question had been drawn in respects to Chuck and the situation had begun an old familiar discussion… about how horrible a friend Bryce Larkin turned out to be.
Chuck dwelt on the betrayal, Ellie was focused on how he got him kicked out of college and broke his heart, Morgan berated how he had lied and stole his best friend's girl, while Devon generally supported all of the opinions. There wasn't anything new to the conversation, simply a revisiting of old reasons since the question had been about who Chuck hated the most.
No one noticed at first. Two conversations were occurring and two Chucks were discussing in two different times. Then they collided.
It's difficult to say who noticed first, just that once he was noticed, it was quickly obvious that a second Chuck had appeared in the room. The conversation quickly died off as a stutter on shocked lips while the appearance of an older, more mature, Chuck was taken in. He stood in slacks and a white shirt of the Nerd Herd uniform, like the present Chuck, but he had a fancier watch, shorter hair, and a very different air about him.
He looked around in wonderment as his mind slowly caught up to the change in his surroundings. Then curious, he cautiously turned around to see if he was alone or not.
"I guess the answer to that question is a 'yes.'" He muttered mysteriously to himself.
Looking at their faces, he sees the combination of shock, fear, and curiosity as to how a second Chuck seems to have simply appeared before them. Seeing the group staring at him, he seemed to vaguely recollect such a meeting from the other side. Almost like a dream that happened a long time ago.
The game is familiar, and the answer drawn on Chuck's game piece tells exactly what the topic is. Sighing in response to his observations, Chuck says, "You know, you're going to have to get over hating Bryce eventually, you might as well get over it now."
The entire group speaks at once, "No way…," "Why, after what he did…," "What makes you an authority…," "Um, how did you get here?"
Pulling up a seat, Chuck began to answer the questions.
"First, I am Chuck, but apparently I am back in time. How, I have no idea…"
Morgan input, "If you have no idea, then how do you know that you are back in time and not in some alternate universe?"
"Because I remember this. Not clearly, more like a dream from years ago, and not until I was standing here looking around the room again." There was a struggle to his explanation, but not as much as they expected.
"What about Bryce?" Chuck still wanted to understand his friend's betrayal. Maybe this version of himself from the future could help?
Focusing on himself, Chuck began.
"There is so much that I want to tell you, but for reasons not to be expressed, I can't. Instead, I'll share ideas or generalized versions to help you understand the future, and I hope that when it counts, you'll understand what I'm telling you."
He paused and watched as they all nodded, shifting position like he was about to tell them a story.
"To understand why you should stop hating Bryce, you should know that his actions were done with your best interests in mind."
Putting up a hand, he forestalled their arguments.
"I know that it really doesn't seem that way, but someday you'll know the details and understand how that is." Then he shifted position as well to be more comfortable for a longer conversation.
First, I'll explain a little bit about who he is, but you'll need to stop picturing Bryce as the strong person you remember, because he leaned on you more than you did him.
Going back before you met Bryce. He had his own messed up family history. A background where his father betrayed and abandoned causing circumstances where his mother lied to him for his own safety. At eighteen, Bryce learned that he knew nothing of his real identity, where he came from, not even his own name.
Then he went to college where he met you. You are innocent, honest, and you have integrity. He leaned on you for support and relied on your example to move forward and created a life for yourself based on who you are instead of dwelling on your family's problems. Those qualities in you are the reasons that he holds you to such high regard and expectations. You were the only person that he considered his real friend whom he could trust completely.
During junior year, he got the chance to recreate his old dream. Growing up, he lived to be a hero through working in law enforcement. When he got the opportunity to live a version of that, he grabbed it.
When senior year came around, Bryce's position allowed him to see danger coming your way. They brought promises of nothing but darkness and destruction, and he couldn't let them take you.
You see, that wasn't just some stupid test given to check if you had paid attention during class, it was a test to see what you could do, and your abilities surpassed decades of students. Before you, a ninety-eight percent retention score was unheard of. With such a valuable asset on campus, the word quickly got around before spreading out to every major recruiter's bosses… you were a wanted man, and by some of the most dangerous people in the world.
The test was the key to bringing all of the danger, so the test had to be taken out of the picture. With the results in the hands of people around the world, discrediting it was the only option left.
Unfortunately, taking you off of the known radars took you off of others. That is where Jill came in. She was given the same ultimatum by the opposition. Get rid of you herself, or others would take actions that would ultimately get rid of you permanently. Like Bryce, she chose to get you out of the line of fire the surest way possible, even though it hurt you and destroyed your relationship.
For years you have been sitting around here lamenting what your best friend and cheating girlfriend did, but one sacrificed his only friend while the other sacrificed her love in order to keep you safe and the man you are."
For a few moments, there was silence as his audience absorbed the information. While some didn't look entirely convinced, Chuck was quietly thinking.
"So… Bryce didn't betray so much as he protected me? And Jill… she was simply 'getting rid of me' too? Does that mean that she never cheated on me with Bryce?" His questions had an air of doubt to them as he struggled to change the beliefs that he had carried for years. Still, hope was creeping in and if anyone could get Chuck to pull it together, who better to do it than Chuck himself?
"Why would you defend him? How do you even know if this story was true, you can't trust Bryce as a source?!" Morgan was not giving up the battle easily and fortunately, future Chuck had the evidence to back his words.
Expecting this reaction, Chuck provided valid proofs. "Morgan, I didn't get any of this from Bryce. I'm basing my information on a recording, government files from four organizations, records from the opposition, word of multiple agents, my own observations, and Jill's word… which isn't necessarily as trust worthy as you might think, but it matches everything else, so I'll go with it." With that battle won and Morgan currently silenced, Chuck turned to himself. "Yes Chuck, they both protected you with their actions and Bryce wasn't directly involved with Jill's actions. I mean, his removing you from the target list caused her to have to protect you, but he didn't cheat with her and he wasn't involved in her breaking up with you."
The conversation could have gone on all night, but Chuck decided to put an end to it as he remembered watching himself do once upon a time. After all, he was going to be around for a time which would give him opportunities to have private conversations with each and every one of them.
Once it was settled that he was going to be around, the people of the present worked together to get things picked up, future Chuck settled in as a guest, and themselves off to bed for the night.
Waking up the next morning, future Chuck found himself feeling rather odd. Sure he was waking up on his couch, but he hadn't been in this setting for years.
As he lay there, he started thinking, comparing his life as he remembered it to what he was living now. Going through the memories, he discovered how it had come to evolve around Sarah.
It started with a beautiful girl who saw past the damaged shell, and saw the potential within. Over the years, she repeated her belief in him that he was a real spy, hero, and able to do anything that he put his mind to. Her support had helped him through the hard times. In return, he provided her a safe landing place, the structure of what having a loving family and loyal friends was like. Slowly, they began to revolve around each other as their needs for support drew them to each other. Then when the attraction was strong enough, they came together in marriage and began to build a life together. Now he had a wife, a home, a job he loved that helped others, his friends by his side, and his family together. Really, he was grateful for the future that he had to look forward to now, that he himself had to return to… he wouldn't give it up for anything.
Soon enough he was disturbed from his thoughts.
Ellie was up and getting ready for a shift so she invited him to join her for breakfast. She had some things that she wanted to discuss with him in private.
Joining her in the kitchen, Chuck helped himself to a bowl of cereal and sat down with her to eat.
"So you got over Jill? What happened to bring that about?"
Thinking as he tried to nail down the exact moment when that happened, he decided to tell her some of the story. "Remember when I said that she was working with the opposition?"
Ellie nodded. "They tried to recruit you also, and she protected you?" She seemed doubtful, but she waited for him to explain.
"Yes. Her father's best friend pressured her into joining the organization and like most organizations would, they gave her a reason to believe that she was on the side of right. That was why she didn't stop them from trying to recruit me, and only tried to protect me when it was obvious that I was in danger.
Years later, still a few years yet to go, we met up again. A part of me was glad to have the lost opportunity of seeing how our relationship would have turned out, but then I discovered that she worked with the very same people who I was fighting against. She scared me as this wasn't the same person that I knew back in college. Due to the circumstances, I had to play dumb and continue to see her for a few days until the agents were able to figure out who she was working with. Finally, she tried to shoot my future wife in the back… that was the last straw. I trapped her myself and turned her over to the agent she was about to murder.
The upside of her being in the picture was that I finally learned the truth of her actions, she saved my life from her handler again, and she later helped me to save dad's life. She's still out there somewhere, having escaped…"
Forgetting to eat for a moment, Ellie focused on the part of the story where her brother mentioned that he was married. "You're married! I'm so happy for you Chuck!" She squealed as she insisted on giving him a hug.
Embarrassed, Chuck simply waived his hand at her and revealed his ring. "It was unintended, and rather ironic, how we met. By messing with my life for the second time, Bryce brought me into contact with his girlfriend. For a time she was in love with both of us, he had a hard time letting go as he had no one else, and I didn't feel like there was anyway a girl like her could love me with him for competition. In the end, she loved me more, he cared too much for both of us to mess with her choice once she settled, and I learned that she needed me for who I was. In my time, we have a home where our families are welcome to drop in and our friends are frequent visitors."
Finishing her food, Ellie enjoyed their conversation and the pictures it painted. When it was time, she hurried off to work.
Later, the Chucks and Morgan were driving in to work and discussing their story as to why another Chuck was going to be accompanying them for a few days.
Being the senior person present, future Chuck took the lead. "It's probably best that I use an alias while I am here. That would reduce the confusion of us both going by Chuck, and it would separate us as being two different people to the general public. I think I'll use a variation of my Carmichael alias… how about Levi Carmichael? Our cover story should be that I am a person who happens to look like you and we met by accident… online? We've been chatting for months and I decided to come visit you without warning. There are holes in it, but I suppose we could redirect enough to keep people from believing that I am a time traveling version of you."
Morgan filled in a few details that he felt should be included while Levi drilled it into the other's heads what to call him and how to act around him.
Arriving at the Buymore, Chuck and Morgan led the way while Levi walked along acting as if he had never seen the place before. Some awkward conversations later found Chuck and Levi reclined behind the Nerd Herd with Morgan hanging out to chat.
"So what is my future like, am I still in the picture or has Bryce stolen Chuck?" Morgan seemed to be feeling a bit left out and resentful of all of the Bryce talk that had occurred the previous night.
With a reassuring look, Levi settled some of his fears. "You're the same place that you have always been Morgan. We work together, we play video games together, and you'll always be my first best friend."
"Take that Bryce!" Morgan muttered while doing a conquering motion.
"Remember Morgan, Bryce is also my best friend. The difference is that you came first and he came second." The remark had no effect on Morgan's superiority complex so Chuck continued. "Morgan, you are going to have to work with Bryce in the future and he will be involved in my life so please stop your rivalry with him. After all, he causes the chain of events that makes me owner of two companies where you manage one and are an equal member of the team in the other. Our lives change in ways that matures us for our futures. I am even married and you're engaged."
Suddenly a thought crossed Levi's mind and he laughed. In response to the questioning glances, he described the thought. "Things are different in the future. Right now you're kind of like the hero before the comics. Then Bryce causes it, with 'it' being the situation that turns you into a hero, and puts you into a life of secrets and scary situations. Eventually, you get used to your new life and other people get to know your secret until you work with all of your closest family and friends. As a team, you fight off the bad guys and support each other through the hard times. You know, you really could have a comic book character designed after your family's crazy invention." Finishing, he could see that Chuck and Morgan were struggling to believe him.
They were finding it easier to think of him as another person or an alternative version from another dimension. Morgan growing up and maturing while Chuck becoming comparable to a comic book hero? That seriously wasn't possible!
Remembering what it was like to be in their shoes. Levi let them build their defenses as they needed them to keep from being overwhelmed by what they were going to experience in time. Still, he hoped that his words would help to smooth over the future by creating a foundation for them to understand what was going to happen.
With a few exceptions caused by Levi's presence, the day generally passed by like any other slow, boring day. There were the usual customers to assist, Jeff and Lester's creepiness to avoid, and all of the inquiries of whether or not they were twins. Still, it past soon enough and they headed for home.
It was late that evening, when Ellie had gone to bed, Chuck and Morgan were in the back playing games, and Devon was left sitting on the couch watching a show with Levi. As he wasn't watching the show so much as thinking, Devon decided to have some conversation with Levi alone.
"What happens with the family in the future Levi?" Devon is concerned with where he will be in the future picture and he speaks what is on his mind.
Knowing what he actually meant, Levi answered. "You aren't going anywhere Awesome. My girlfriend and I spend hours digging through a dumpster to find your grandmother's ring when it gets stolen, dad is there to walk Ellie down the aisle to meet you, and mom is there to hold her hand when your first child is born. Those may be special mile markers in your relationship with Ellie, but you'll always be my 'awesome' big brother."
Relieved, Devon decided to ask another question. "Back in college, you had all of these plans to be a computer engineer, and after everything that happened, you ended up working at the Buymore. From what you say, it sounds like you get back on your feet, but why were you still wearing a Herd uniform when you showed up?"
Smiling, Levi leaned in. "The secret Devon, is that I have three jobs really. I own the Buymore and continue to work as the Nerd Herd supervisor for appearances sake. Then the other two jobs involve my freelance business and official work based on what I do for the government."
Surprised, Devon asked how he got into working for the government.
"Bryce may have introduced me to the work, but along the way I found dad, mom, and learned that more people in my life were connected to it than I thought. Over the years, it has become a sort of family business with our Bartowski family, my wife's family, and my closest friends all getting involved at times. Who wouldn't want to do it? I mean, it's an adventure, we help people on a 'saving the world' kind of scale from time to time, and it's amazing what you discover about yourself and the world around you. I've learned and gained so much…"
Devon was obviously proud with his declaration of "Awesome bro!" But he wanted to know about the Bartowski parents, what about them?
Frowning, Levi evaded saying too much. "Mom and dad both work for the government too. They each reached a point where they had a decision to make which led to them leaving. Either they came home and brought danger, or they left and took the danger with them.
Bringing me into contact with dad is one of the reasons that Bryce eventually does what he does, and later dad gave me the details needed to help mom escape the trap that she is in."
With food for thought, the conversation wound around to an end before Devon left Levi the couch for the night.
After Levi had been around for a few days, Ellie decided that they should go out and simply enjoy an evening with him like he was a guest instead of interrogating him at every opportunity.
Morgan suggested their usual favorite of sizzling shrimp which was agreed to by the others.
It was a fairly normal evening with a simple family group sitting around enjoying good food and even better company. There were the usual jokes about Levi and Chuck being twins, chatter about their days, and other forms of general conversation.
The entire evening Chuck was thinking about how the restaurant would someday have its connections to the Triads and wondered if there were any associations yet. It turned out that it did.
Their evening was coming to a close and the waiter was getting their bill when a group of men entered the building dressed in black with their faces covered.
Levi ordered his group to stand down as he would handle the situation. Watching, he discovered that the men were a bunch of idiots looking to rob the patrons in order to start trouble with the Triads.
Rolling his eyes, Levi flashed and moved into action. He used chop sticks to stop the cocking mechanisms in the hand guns, knives to throw at perps a crossed the room, while using general combat and gymnastics to get around the room and defeat his opponents.
It was quite a show for his family and other patrons who weren't used to seeing people break into action like that outside of movies.
When he had finished fighting down the attackers, he asked the employees for zip ties to bind them until the police could arrive. Then leaving the men in a line along the wall, he turned to his audience and requested that they not divulge anything about him being the one to take them on. "Say it was a man in a mask who flew in from the back and quickly disappeared."
A few of the patrons were thrilled to return the favor by keeping his secret, while others were too scared to care.
Before anyone could respond to him, the police were entering the front and when they turned back to where he had been standing, Levi was gone. He had disappeared as quickly as he said to say he had. One moment he was there, and the next he was gone.
Eventually, the others were released from giving their statements and were free to go home. As they were leaving the police station they turned a corner to nearly run into Levi.
He had been following them from a distance and was waiting at a convenient location to head home with them.
They were full of questions and inquiries. "Where did you learn to fight like that? "What were you thinking, what if they shot you?" Wow! That was totally awesome!"
Chuck was rather quiet. He was somewhere between being amazed at the skills that Levi had displayed, and not believing it even though he had seen it. There was a reason he was distancing himself from this hero in front of him, there was no way that he could ever be someone like that, do something like that. Levi must have come from an alternate universe no matter what he said about remembering this trip back in time from Chuck's perspective. It wasn't possible for them to be the same person.
Levi knew the general idea of what he was thinking and reflected on how much they all reacted like they did the first time they discovered it before (or was this the first time which would make the other time the second?). Chuck didn't believe that he could be the person he was, Devon thought it was 'awesome,' Morgan was thrilled, and Ellie was worried about his safety.
Not wanting to alarm them further, Levi was careful in how he responded. "I learn a lot in the future Morgan and dad had a… tool that helps with that. They didn't even fire a shot Ellie, I am trained to handle situations like that. Just wait Awesome, there is a lot more to see in the future. Relax Chuck, you won't become me overnight, although you would be surprised how much you turn out to be like me on your first night out… never mind. It's going to be okay Chuck so don't worry about comparing yourself to me as you aren't me yet."
By the time they got home the whole group was exhausted and ready to call it a night.
Laid out on the couch, Levi knew that tomorrow would be his last day here, time to get his goodbyes in order.
The next morning the group was milling around getting breakfast when Levi's phone vibrated.
He pulled it out and glanced at it with a perplexed expression. Why was his phone receiving a text from Bryce? The Bryce of the present and he weren't on speaking terms… unless his phone was receiving texts from the future?
That was a puzzling thought. What was he supposed to say to him? "Sorry, I can't help you with your case at the moment because I am in the past." Bryce would have him committed. If he tried though, he could easily bring up the Intersect as it sounds crazy but is completely real.
As he sat there staring at his phone the others started to look at him. Noticing, Levi told them what was going on. "Bryce from the future texted and my phone received it. The problem is what do I say to him in response?"
"Wow, that isn't something that I would think possible." Ellie gave him a big eyed look of surprise.
"I didn't either, but then I do vaguely remember watching myself have a conversation with future Bryce… or was it also current Bryce? Maybe I should tell him that I am in the past?" Deciding to see what that conversation had been about, Levi went about sending the message.
When his phone received the response a few moments later, he blinked.
The first text was from the future Bryce, but the second was from the current Bryce… and he was rather confused. Why after three years of silence was Chuck suddenly texting him something about being in the past?
Levi responded. "I'm from seven years in the future and somehow transported to the past/present." He clarified for Bryce.
As expected, Bryce didn't believe that he had traveled through time.
In order to get through to him, Levi went over some facts that the current Chuck couldn't possibly know. "I know that you are CIA and currently undercover as Neal Caffrey (I look forward to meeting your other friend Peter and your criminal mentor Mozzie)."
"Seriously!" Bryce didn't know what to think of that, but as current Chuck knew nothing of those details there was definitely something to this time travel thing. "Any chance you'll tell me about the future?"
"Seriously. You saved my life from project Omaha in college, my dad created the Intersect and recruited you to help him protect it, and someday you will send it to me." He further pushed the fact that he was a time traveler by referring to things that had happened and something that was yet to come.
"No wonder you hate me so much." Bryce's feelings on knowing that Chuck not only hated him for his past actions, but that he would justifiably hate him for actions yet to come was rather clear. Even in the simple texted words Chuck could almost hear how sad Bryce was.
"Yes I am mad at you in the present, and I will continue to be mad at you into the future. Eventually I will understand, get over it, and forgive you. These are just some rough years before we get things worked out. I owe you a huge thank you for everything that you have done and continue to do." He tried to comfort Bryce by telling him that he would forgive him.
Bryce seemed to relax with that. He was relieved to know that things would work out between him and Chuck. In the meanwhile, there was time travel to talk about…
"Wow, so time travel is really possible? Of all of the places that you could go you chose to go seven years into your past?"
"Apparently, and I didn't choose where to go or when. I was simply at home in a conversation when I suddenly found myself back in time. How, why, and all of the other questions? I don't know."
"Cool. I don't really know what to say though." Bryce had a lot that he wanted to say, he just didn't know which thing to say or how to say it.
"Like I said before, I'll get over it eventually. Don't worry Bryce. We're still friends in the future." Bryce was still nervous about what ground their friendship was standing on and he wanted them to have some free conversation. He missed that. Before Bryce could respond to the first message, Levi whipped out a second message. "I vaguely remember us having an enjoyable conversation, but since I only witnessed it, I have no idea what we talk about."
Changing the subject to picking up some of their old jokes, Bryce got onto safer ground and they felt freer by ignoring the awkwardness of their present status. Both of them calmed down and had that great conversation that Chuck had once witnessed.
While they were texting, Levi went about his day as had become his routine.
Later that evening Levi knew that his time was running out. He requested that the group settle in the living room so that he could say goodbye.
"What, you're saying goodbye?" They all wondered why he had to go for a moment. Then they remembered that he had a wife, friends, work, and that his life was all waiting for him in the future. Besides, they would see him again everyday (ish) until he became the man that was standing in front of them.
"I'll be going back to the future shortly so there are a few last minute things that I would like to say.
First Ellie, I promise that our family will be together, happy, healthy, and growing. We will learn why our family fell apart as it comes back together. Don't worry, we'll be okay.
Awesome, life will be just that. We get to work together to save lives in so many ways. At least a few times we literally work together as a family team. The future is going to be very interesting.
Morgan. You are my best friend and some day you will be my brother in name only. Eventually you and Ellie find means to get along, but you will never be anything more than family through friendship."
Looking pleased, Morgan seemed to think that he could change the future if he tried. (His expression screamed hope and his eyes danced at Ellie).
Shrugging apologetically at Ellie, Levi tried to distract Morgan from that line of thought. "For the record Morgan, I said that you were my brother in name only as a family friend. Besides your girlfriends and fiancé are a little more dangerous… okay one of them is more dangerous, but that is because she is a spy, so…"
The look on Morgan's face said that he was imagining himself as a miniature version of James Bond. He was in another world so Ellie was safe, for now.
"You have all been worried about me for years. What would I do with my future, would I get over Jill, and so many other questions. The thing is that I turn out just fine. I am married to an amazing woman, when I go to work I have my closest friends by my side, and each night I have my own home to return to. There are times when things don't look so good. Like when Bryce comes into the picture again, or when mom gives her gift for missing my tenth birthday.
All of this that I am sharing is hard for you to take in at the moment, but it's the closest that you are going to get to someone setting you down and explaining things. You have to learn most of this for yourself the hard way. I just hope that this will help ease a few problems in the future."
Devon and Ellie sat on the couch with their arms around each other while Chuck and Morgan sat in the chairs to the side. They were thinking pleasant thoughts of the future and looking forward to experiencing it for themselves.
Levi stood in front of them much like he had done that firs day when he showed up through time. The difference was that Levi smiled and flicked his hand in a gentle wave. "Remember the secrets to who you are and what you're capable of being. Until seven years from now…"
Then, the times separated again, and Levi was once again Chuck back in his own time.
It was weird not having Levi around anymore. He was such a calming presence with his assured outlook, relaxed perspective, and generally happy countenance. While he was with them, Levi had eased their fears of the future, protected them from danger, and told mysterious details of what to expect that made his stories interesting, even though they didn't understand them.
Now they were back to facing the uncertainties of tomorrow alone, despite the knowledge that Levi came from said future.
After all, they each distanced themselves from him by seeing him as Chuck from an alternate universe or as a completely different person. It was difficult for them to look at their Chuck languishing in his pain after Stanford, see the other Chuck smiling as he saved several lives with ease, and think of these two people as being the same person from different times. Who could blame them?
Eventually the circumstances of Levi visiting them became more of an old dream and the mementos were buried in the shadows. It was like they had watched a movie years ago and put the movie in the back of a cupboard to be forgotten by all.
Standing back in the future, Chuck found himself to be facing a very worried wife.
"What happened? It was like you were standing there and I blinked only to have you gone. There was enough time to worry and fear for you before suddenly you're back! You're wearing different clothes so I know it wasn't just me." She was afraid and panicking as she threw her arms around his neck while burying her tear stained face into his chest. It was only a moment before she needed to look back to his face to ensure that he was indeed still with her.
Holding her close, Chuck simply took in the feeling of standing in his own home with his wife in his arms again. "It's all right Sarah. I was standing here with you when suddenly I realized that I was standing back in the old apartment facing the wall. As I turned around, I found myself facing me, Ellie, Awesome, and Morgan… seven years ago." He dropped his voice lower as he finished until it was just above a whisper.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You traveled through time to see yourself seven years ago? What was that like?"
Chuckling softly, "Like looking at a pathetic reflection. I mean, now that I know what Bryce did for me and finding myself standing in the past seeing what I was like… I was pathetic as I went around pitying myself and dwelling on the past. No wonder Ellie spent so much time trying to get me to pull myself together."
Smiling through her tears, "It can't have been that bad."
Laughing, Chuck shook his head at her. "Remember what it was like when we first met. I couldn't believe in myself, dwelt on how Bryce had betrayed me, wouldn't see that you were falling for me as surely as I fell for you. Then look at that from the perspective of knowing that Bryce saved my life, brought me to you, put my family back together, and that he is alive for us to work through our friendship issues the rest of the way. What is there to complain so much about?"
"When you put it that way, you were rather pathetic." She teased as she leaned into his embrace.
The next day Chuck texted Bryce to inform him that he was back from the past and that they could resume progress on the case.
"That's a blast from the past." Bryce jokingly referenced receiving texts a long time before about Chuck not being able to help with his case due to being in the past.
"You better believe it. And looking forward to seeing you again, we have a lot to discuss."
Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, bookmarking/following, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D
I hope I edited the worst of my tense errors out, but there may be some left due to the plot bouncing through time. Just a heads up, the rest of the story also bounces so it might continue.