Excerpts
Note: The chapters covering Bryce's hospital stay drew out in original form, so per a prereader's suggestion, they were chopped, merged, and these excerpts were kept since I couldn't delete them, they answer questions or were cute scenes. They are mostly set in the hospital waiting room while Bryce was being seen or while they were waiting for him through the coma, and the exception is at the Bureau. I hope you enjoy them :D
Felix's hypochondriac behavior.
Choosing the moment to inquire about the Larkin family, Elizabeth wanted to know more about their personal interactions with each other. "Why does Felix look for attention so much? He seems to calculate his actions according to what will most get people to notice him."
This time Jonathon sighed. "He isn't the oldest son and primary heir. Therefore he, like Bryce, was generally ignored growing up while Richard doted on Wyatt. Although the brothers had similar treatment at home, Bryce had the benefit of learning from his mother, Catherine, before her death, in addition to a better support group at school. Felix didn't benefit from Catherine, so he looked up to the only parent he has ever really known. Then the Larkin pride doesn't make real friends, so he didn't have the support in school. Combined, everything somehow led him to become a hypochondriac."
Bryce's deaths and why they weren't noticed.
Although the answers often bothered her, Elizabeth continued to try and understand Bryce's past. She had so many questions that they wouldn't all be answered, but there was one more she desperately needed to know the answer to. Taking the courage to ask, it seemed like as good a time as any. "Is that why his previous deaths weren't noticed… because he was generally ignored at home?" Having gotten the basic element of it out, she elaborated a little bit. "I mean, it seemed rather easy for the Larkins to believe Neal could be Bryce playing a joke on them, even with the death certificate, obituary, and funeral."
Jonathon explained what he could, "I don't know about the official side, Chuck will have to cover that, but I do know some of the family's side of the story." He exchanged a glance with Chuck saying they would share telling the story. Keeping to the basics, Jonathon answered his part of the question. "After Bryce went to college, he stopped adhering to many of the Larkin expectations. His wardrobe got more casual, he proudly showed off his nerdy skills, and generally broke loose of the restraints he had been forced to keep in mind before. As his communication showed more of his interests, his family found less in common with him and they slowly lost touch. By the time he was in his senior year, he hardly contacted them anymore and they didn't try to keep in touch at all. Eventually, communication was all but lost, and he only attended required family events, so when it stopped altogether, the family hardly noticed. As for when his obituary was published, I understand they thought it to be something of a sorority prank. They didn't believe he would lower himself to being an accountant or dying in such a 'common' situation as a robbery."
Taking the other angle of the situation, Chuck led the conversation for a short time. "From the official angle, Bryce was keeping himself busy. After being killed for his supposed betrayal, that was really an undercover role, he was sent off to the morgue, but he didn't make it. The bus was manned by the people who were controlling his alleged betrayal, so they revived him to see how his mission had gone. With the few words he managed to utter, Bryce gave them a reason to keep him alive. All we know about the following year he was captive, is that he kept his cover and performed as a decoy for me. When we had rescued him and cleared his name, he was sent off on classified missions for two years. However, I do know the government chose to keep him on the books as dead, so no one beyond a few knew he was alive."
Getting the evidence and Peter leaving with Jones and Diana heading to the hospital.
When the evidence finally came in, Peter was relieved for the distraction. He had just finished his report on the awful event and he wanted to get the images out of his head again. Although they wouldn't go far, focusing on solving the cases would be a good way to feel like he was doing something about them.
Helping to arrange them, Peter worked to sort the evidence across the conference room table by case. Then he assigned them out to agents for further investigation. Once the task was done, it was getting rather late, so he was ordered to head home and rest. Everyone knew he wouldn't likely get much sleep, but anything would be better than sitting in the office all night.
"We'll go to the hospital with you," Diana volunteered as she and Jones approached Peter.
Jones explained why "We would like to see him too. Although we haven't shown it recently, he is still our friend."
Waving them to come along, Peter understood their sentiments. "There isn't any change in his condition. You won't get long because it's after visiting hours, but Chuck said he got permission for a short visit."
Once the elevator doors closed, Diana put her hand on Peter's shoulder. "I'm not angry you didn't call me earlier, a lot happened quickly. If you need to talk though, I'd be happy to help."
Sighing, Peter was at least somewhat relieved that neither agent was angry with him, "Thanks, I appreciate it, from both of you."
"You're welcome," Jones answered. Although he hadn't said it, his presence in the elevator spoke volumes. "It's been a wild ride ever since the treasure was stolen and these other cases got started. Now, I'm looking forward to seeing what 'Neal' was actually up to the whole time and who actually committed the crime we suspected him of." He held up his briefcase of files. There were more on his desk, but it contained more than he could go through in a single night.
Noticing that Diana also had a case full of files, Peter simply shifted his own in acknowledgment that he was also taking work home. "That is one thing I'm happy about with all of this. I finally know his life story, have met his family and closest friends, and now I get to see what he was actually doing while he was sneaking around."
"He is going to have a lot of questions to answer when he wakes up. You might have gotten to know several of them, but the office is buzzing about the reveals," Diana smirked. She was trying to lighten the mood and alleviate the depressed air Peter seemed to be carrying.
"That's not surprising. His own team didn't even know he was alive until Chuck was called in. Everyone seems to have a lot of gaps in their knowledge of his life," Peter acknowledged.
Reaching the main floor, the three agents went to their separate cars intent on meeting each other at the hospital.
Driving through the city wasn't quite as bad late at night, and the times when their paths crossed with heavier traffic, they each spent the time with their thoughts as there wasn't anything else to do. Eventually, they traversed the city and reached the hospital.
Meeting at the front door, Peter led the way up to the ICU and to Bryce's room. Greeting Chuck and Sarah at the door, he paused to introduce the two teams to each other. While they talked for a few moments, he went in to see Bryce alone.
Peter and Elizabeth discuss Bryce investigating them for the treasure.
Having only a short bit of time, Peter didn't spend long in with Bryce. Mostly he shared random thoughts and basic things from the office before heading back to the waiting room. While Jones and Diana took their turn, Peter talked to Elizabeth and shared Bryce's theory about them.
"Did you know that Bryce actually investigated us for the theft of the treasure?" Peter asked Elizabeth as he settled into the waiting chair next to her.
"Really? How did we rank?" Elizabeth was surprised and then curious. It was interesting to learn that the young agent had been researching them right back, and although it hurt, there was still the intrigue of what he had found.
Finding some humor, Peter tried to make it funny. "Oh, we are generally perceived as being capable of pulling off the heist, but apparently, we don't have enough motives to actually go through with it. He is as confident in our skills as he is in our characters."
Curling into Peter's side, Elizabeth liked the picture that created. "Can you imagine us as thieves stealing what we wished and then retreating to some hideout to avoid the law?"
Laughing at the startling image, Peter added a twist to their little story. "Maybe we could hideout on a pirate's ship and sail the seven seas," he had always loved Vikings.
Kissing him, Elizabeth knew where his mind had gone, "and perhaps we could wear hats with horns?"
Peter imagined her wearing a Viking's outfit and smiled teasingly. "You would have to wear the whole costume," then he kissed her in return.
Embarrassed, Elizabeth lightly smacked his shoulder and ordered him to stop.
Amused off to the side, June didn't mind the banter. She chose to pretend that she was too engrossed in her book to hear them.
As Jones and Diana rejoined the group, the banter changed to a general conversation on schedules before the agents returned to their work.
Sarah shares a little of her past.
"Sarah isn't my real name, so the name thing isn't an issue either," Sarah smiled at their expressions. "I was raised by a con artist, the agency changed my name when I was recruited."
Intrigued, Elizabeth wanted to talk more about that, "You were raised by a con artist?"
Beside her, Peter looked shocked. Since when did the government hire cons as agents?
June was amused. She knew the value of a good con artist, and the better the con meant the better the agent.
"My father is Jack Burton, and he was arrested when I was seventeen. The director was along personally, as he had been following my dad's career, and he put me on the track for recruitment. It gave me a direction to take my life and allowed me to see the world. After growing up seeking adventure with my dad, working for the government has just been another variation of that," Sarah explained a little bit.
"Have you ever been ordered to arrest your father?" Peter asked. Having been ordered to arrest his best friend, he wondered how it was for other people.
"Yes…" Sarah hedged. She didn't want to admit to letting him off the hook, but Peter was a really good agent so he understood.
Nodding, he mentally pictured some methods she could use to let her father get away without incriminating herself. "I'm sure he was a tricky one to chase, he probably evaded you a lot. After all, he taught you," he winked at her in understanding.
Amused, Sarah understood what Bryce saw in Peter. "I see why he likes you so much. Bryce has a soft spot for the smart ones."
Laughing, Elizabeth was amused by the similarity. "So does Peter. That is part of why he agreed to work with Bryce. He's the smartest man he knows."
"Great minds think alike," Peter shrugged with a smile.
"They do," Elizabeth agreed as she kissed him.
Putting his arm around her, Peter was feeling very relaxed. Leaning back and sipping his coffee, he enjoyed the general conversation with the three lovely ladies.
Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, following, reviewing :D
Alrighty, everyone, this is the end of Persuassioned. I hope you all enjoyed it :D Per the votes below, we'll start _ the week after next, once Training Games is completed :D
Separation Anxiety: III
Miniature: II
Rejections Rift: I
The Yearbook Incident: I
