TTT2 – Pen Pals


From Spiral Hearts:

"Oh! And you should totally do a chapter with the letters between Chuck and Neal if they become pen pals because I feel like it'd be adorable"

Notes: Takes place maybe in the middle of season 3 of Chuck? And through season 1 of White Collar (with a little Season 2)


The first letter arrived on card, almost like a postcard. However, the picture on the front wasn't any postcard you could buy in the shop.

It was a view of New York City which took Chuck's breath away. On the back was a simple sentence and an address.

'Still want to be penpals?'

Even Neal's handwriting was breathtaking.


Neal had been expecting the letter which arrived a few weeks after he settled into June's. Chuck had hit him as an honest kind of guy and the offer to be penpals had seemed sincere.

He hadn't expected pages of writing. Chuck's handwriting was a large mess of rounded letters which took up most of the lines. It was no wonder the envelope had been so thick.

The first page was a bunch of questions from Chuck. Questions about how Neal had probably served his sentence by now so what was he up to? And, 'where did that picture come from? I know you drew it but is it a real place?' And, 'would you consider joining my team?'

Neal laughed out loud at that one, bringing June into his apartment. He assured her all was well and he was just making a new friend via snail mail.

He already knew how he was going to start his next letter.


Dear Chuck,

No, I'm not going to tell you my email address. There's a beauty in sending and receiving letters that email cannot replicate.

Besides, your handwriting needs work. This will help. Promise.

N.

The picture on this card was a postman trying to escape from a dog. It was slightly cartoon-like and Chuck loved it. Despite the stab Neal made from refusing to use email. Neal also sent a second letter which contained the answers to a number of Chuck's questions.


N,

You could sign your whole name. It's not like the CIA reads my mail. Yet. Actually, I should really check with Casey. I'm going to send a new letter at an undisclosed time, if I don't hear from you in two weeks.

Hoping this gets to you,

Chuck


Dearest Chuck,

I think I know someone you'll get along with well. He's just as paranoid. By the way, the FBI does read my mail.

Cheers,

N.

On the other side of this one was a middle-aged man reading a letter at a desk. He had a stern expression on his face and there was such admiration as well as a wary feeling towards him that Chuck realised this person was a real person. Neal must know him somehow.

It surprised Chuck but the picture was good enough for him to ID the person as Peter Burke, an FBI agent.


N,

The FBI READS YOUR MAIL?

Shocked and appalled,

Chuck.


Chuck,

It was a joke.

N

The back of the card had been made over to look like a joker card. Chuck actually thought it was rather creepy and this card ended up locked away in his PANTS box (it's an acronym).


N,

So, why are you working with the FBI?

Confused,

Chuck.


Confused Chuck,

It's part of a deal. After I liberated myself from prison.

Less confused now?

N

The picture this time was of a prison cell, the bars designed to keep people in had been bent to make a gap for someone to squeeze through. It became one of Chuck's personal favourites.

He always thought of Bryce and Neal as somewhat superhuman.


To N(eal),

Can I have the details of your liberation? Just in case I ever need to replicate a prison break in the future.

Also, what little deals I can get sound awesome.

Thanks,

Chuck


To the Piranha,

You better hope the FBI doesn't read my mail. Did you really have to let loose a virus on the FBI computers? You only hacked to read a few files, they wouldn't have even noticed if you were there.

I had to write everything out. My wrist hurts.

Better hope the CIA doesn't read your mail,

Signed,

George Devore

It took Chuck a few moments to figure out who had sent him a message. The handwriting was different to N's letters. The hand-drawn picture of a piranha on the other side of the card was a heavy hint at the sender's true identity. Chuck didn't even question how Neal knew.


George Devore,

There is a beauty in writing. And, as a friend once said to me, the practice will do you good. Also, N's handwriting is a thing of beauty and needs to be shared with the world.

Not at all repentant,

The Piranha


To the annoying hacker known as 'the Piranha',

I know it was you.

From,

Steve Tabernackle

Another letter, another alias. This one joined the joker one in the box as the picture of two eyes watching him was just as creepy.

Maybe he shouldn't have hacked the FBI and changed all the backgrounds to ones of kittens in fedoras and other fancy hats.


Dear Steve,

I apologise. It was a just a harmless prank. Besides, someone needs to keep the FBI on their toes.

Now repentant,

Charles.


Charles,

Does anyone really call you that? Chuck sounds so much better. Also, I think you've jumped up the FBI most wanted list of hackers. They're really mad.

Was it worth it?

Neal.

"That's a really good likeness," Sarah commented when she spotted the wanted poster featuring Chuck's face which had been drawn on the other side of the card.

"Yep," Chuck said. He was proud of this picture. Although Neal had done a scarily good job of drawing him, considering they hadn't met in person in months.


Yay, Neal!

Nice to finally hear from you. My father calls me 'Charles'. Bryce calls me 'Chuck'. He's actually the one who spread 'Chuck' around the Stanford Campus so I could never grow out of the name.

Think I can make it to number 1?

Playing a dangerous game,

Charles C.


Mr. Dangerous,

Remind me to thank Bryce.

As someone who's played a dangerous game with the FBI, let me assure you it's not as fun as it sounds. If you get to number 1, I'm going to tell Sarah.

You have told her you're a (wanted) hacker, right?

James Bonds

Chuck had to google the fake bond Neal had drawn on the other side. Turns out he replicated a version of the bonds he went to jail for forging.


Mr. Bonds,

Don't tell her! She doesn't know and the Piranha is on the CIA watch list too!

I don't want to be locked in a little white cell for the rest of my days.

Also, you can't thank Bryce since he doesn't know about this.

Scared and begging you not to tell,

Chuck


Dearest Chuck,

Lovely to hear from you. I'm sorry for the late reply but I was incarcerated while they investigated (Kate's (crossed out) my girlfriend's (also crossed out)) a death.

On the bright side, I'm out now and robbed a bank the other day. For the FBI, of course.

You wouldn't be able to help me find a killer, would you?

Here's hoping,

Neal

The card felt wrong. There was no picture. The lines grew shaky around certain points.

Neal was shaken. Badly shaken if it was showing in this card.

Chuck read it again. He wasn't going to help Neal find this killer but he could be there for him. He pulled out his laptop and booked himself a flight to New York.


Neal was surprised to see him.

"I thought we were pen pals?" he questioned. "As in, we don't meet."

"This was important," Chuck said.

Neal let him in and Chuck looked for the shakes which had been evident in the letter.

"Are you here to help?"

"I'm not going to help you catch a killer," Chuck responded, "I'm needed back in Burbank too soon for that. Besides, you should leave it to someone else."

Neal frowned at him and Chuck decided to rephrase.

"You're friends with the FBI, right? Let them help you. They'll be able to arrest whomever it is."

Neal looked away and painfully admitted, "I'm not sure I want him arrested."

Him. Chuck realised that Neal probably had someone in mind. That kind of single-minded focus, he had seen it before.

It never ended well.

"Listen to you, you'll destroy yourself if you do this alone," he said.

"This isn't an afterschool special, Chuck!" Neal bellowed at him in anger. "And Bryce shoots people all the time!"

"And neither of us are Bryce," Chuck responded. "You're Neal. The CIA told us that you only assist in situations where there's risk of civilian loss. The FBI has you listed as non-violent. You like drawing pictures or you would just send me blank cards or just letters. If you do kill this person, then you destroy all of that. I don't think you'll be able to send me pictures when all you can see is yourself killing someone. I'm not here to help you catch a murderer, I'm here to help you."

Neal raised an eyebrow but didn't respond as to not fall into the 'after-school special trap'.

"And if you really wanted them dead, you would have contacted Bryce, not me."

Neal frowned at him for a moment more before sighing.

"You have a point."

"Excellent!" Chuck clapped, glad Neal had decided to see sense. For the moment at least. "Now, I'm in the mood for some 'Empire Strikes Back'."

Neal gave him a horrified look.

"No Star Wars," he stated.

Chuck deflated.

"How about-"

"Or Star Trek."

"Okay. Maybe-"

"If it has 'Star' in it, I'm going to say 'no'."

"How about 'Tiles of Fire'?" June asked from the entrance. She apologised a moment later, "sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing your dilemma. Now, Neal, you wouldn't say 'no' to 'Tiles of Fire', would you?"

Yes, Neal thought. "No," he said. Because June would tell Mozzie and Neal would have to face an intervention.

Chuck watched 'Tiles of Fire' completely enraptured, while Neal doodled mah-jong tiles onto the blank side of his last letter, the one Chuck brought with him.