Posted November 7, 2021

A/N: This is an epilogue. Morgan and Casey still have to work together.

davida6 has been a fantastic beta. In the past he was wiling to get into minds of an over-protective (and sometimes violent) sister, of Morgan (that's right Morgan), and of Casey (whose head can be frightening in a different way.) Throw in a stalker and he's been through the wringer, helping bring you more stories to read. Thanks!

Friday, March 21, 2008
Burbank Buy More

Everything was right in Casey's world. The nonsense of helping Walker become even more of a civilian was over. Chuck flashed, so they had another mission.

The only thing he needed to do was to get someone to cover for him. It didn't go well two weeks ago. Chuck and Walker went on a mission without him. Some Buy Morons showed up, and now the other two members of his team were shacking up. At least now, Casey wouldn't have to suffer through Chuck and Sarah looking at each other with longing. That nonsense was out of the way.

He needed a green shirt to cover, and Grimes had the night off. He was probably going on a date with Alex. He didn't want that, so it would be a way to kill two birds with one stone.

When he asked Grimes, the little troll enthusiastically agreed. That didn't sit right with Casey, though. Grimes never liked to work. Why was he cooperating so readily? Oh, no. He knew.

Casey stepped behind Grimes and put his hand on the smaller man's shoulder. He used it to walk and steer him to the back. Fortunately the back area was empty. He pushed Grimes into the cage and slammed the door, locking him inside.

"What was that for? I'm going to help you tonight. I hate being in here with the old computers. What did I do wrong? Please let me out!" Grimes pleaded.

Casey gruffly answered. "No. You want to know what you did wrong? You agreed too easily. I don't want to be here, but I have a reason tonight. You want to be here less than I do. You're going to stand up Alex, aren't you? What did she tell you?"

"I haven't told Alex anything!" Grimes whined as he backed away to the far corner.

"That's not what I asked. I asked, 'What did she tell you?'"

Grimes was silent. Alex wasn't supposed to tell him anything. Casey has stopped by to see her twice this week when she was working. It was still a little awkward, but it seemed to be getting better. That didn't mean he wanted her boyfriend/cretin to know. At least he wasn't ratting her out.

"I know she told you that I am her father."

Grimes actually laughed a little. "Right. Good one, 'Darth.'" Casey didn't laugh back. "Wait. You're serious?"

"I'm always serious."

"Yeah, I know that. But seriously? You're Alex's father? Wow. Ok. Yeah. I didn't know that. If I had, I would have asked your permission to date her, or something. But now. Well. I'm not going to stop dating her, even if you ask, because now I know how great she is."

"Good."

Grimes looked even more confused. "Good? Please don't kill me."

"As long as you treat my daughter well, then you are safe. If you break her heart, then I break you. Understood?"

Grimes nodded big and slowly, indicating that he completely understood.

Casey realized that Grimes didn't know. He was the one who accidentally told him. It was just as well, though. Now he could keep Bartowski's sidekick in line. However, it didn't explain one thing. "If you didn't know I'm Alex's father, why did you agree to cover for me? Why are you standing up Alex?"

His prisoner visibly gulped. Casey's stare became even scarier. It was a good thing that the cage's door was between them because while he wouldn't kill Morgan, he might lift him by the neck to get an answer out of him.

"I won't stand up Alex. I'll just finish here first and see her later."

"And not stay the night," Casey said in a way that sounded like an order.

"Of course, not. I haven't even met her mom yet. We're doing that for Sunday dinner. Hey, you know her. You could come," he enthusiastically answered.

"No." Casey growled and said, "You still haven't answered my first question. Why did you agree to cover for me?"

"I don't want a repeat of a couple weeks ago, when I screwed up and put Chuck and Sarah at risk because I didn't cover for you then."

Grimes thought he screwed up. Casey didn't say anything. He simply continued his growl, leading to the little man breaking. It wasn't some enemy agent trained in withstanding interrogation. An intimidating look was all it took. "I was only trying to help. I need to stop trying to avoid work and be helpful when they go on missions. That's your job."

Missions? Walker and Chuck must have told him, or somehow he found out. He couldn't let Chuck out of his sight, so he got the Buy Morons involved, thinking he was helping when he was doing the opposite. On the upside, Sarah and Chuck weren't doing their stupid dance around each other, which was bad for the cover.

A scary thought popped into Casey's head. Grimes met Alex at The Pie Shack after the spies were captured on a mission and Walker rescued the seasoned agent. Walker was acting a little off, and it was more than her being non-military. Chuck and Morgan must have been involved somehow. They were somehow part of rescuing Sarah, so in a way, they helped rescue him.

Good grief!

In good conscience, he couldn't keep someone confined who surely had helped rescue him, so he grunted and opened the cage to let him out.

Before the two of them went back to the sales floor, the NSA assassin gave the civilian something to think about. "I now have two reasons to make you wish you were not born. If tonight's mission goes bad, with Chuck and Sarah actually together, I'm blaming you for whatever you did to cause that to happen." He wasn't about to say that he would thank them if it went well, but he'd never thank him out loud. "More importantly, if you hurt Alex, there is no place you can hide." Casey knew he struggled with smiles, but this one he wanted to be predatory. "Behave, and it won't be a problem."

"Yes, Sir," Grimes said and he saluted.

"Three reasons. No saluting. You aren't in the military."

"Got it. You are still Sir, right?"

Casey grunted again. "I was always Sir."

A/N: This chapter ends the torturing of Casey, this story, and the series. No more secrets are revealed. Everyone could know everything, because they can be trusted, but they don't need to know everything, and some people like the secrets, even when they aren't needed. Also, some things would be weird to share. For example, Chuck assumed, and Casey and Sarah believed his assumption that Morgan and Alex slept together, someplace, though they might have just spent the day together, falling in love. Not even the readers get to know the truth.

The biggest problem Casey has not is that he is deluding himself about Chuck and Sarah. Chuck and Sarah are happier, and Bryce, Jill, and Cole don't stand a chance, but that doesn't mean missions will be a "lady-feelings-free" zone.

Two new stories are coming this year: 4-chapter "The Intersect Couple vs Their Dream" and holiday one-shot "Chuck vs the DJ Battle'' with nevr. Then starting next year, it'll be two stories: "Chuck vs Under the Cover'' and a very big one, "Chuck vs the In Between."