Interlude: Trip down the memory lane

Trying her best to run as fast as she possibly could, she stopped near the door that led to the wedding venue, only sparing a few moments to catch her breath. She desperately began searching for Chuck. She didn't barge in for fear of sticking out like a sore thumb, given how elegantly dressed everyone was for the joyous occasion; in contrast, she was clad in a simple leather jacket. Given she was in a rush to make it here in time. And it didn't seem like a great idea to embarrass Chuck in front of Ellie's wealthy and highly influential in laws.

While the wedding ensued and a romantic song started playing, she saw him standing there, surrounded by his sister and her friends. And to her utmost horror, it didn't seem like he missed having her around at all. She just couldn't believe how much he had been enjoying himself, how content he looked just being there. He just stood there, happily chatting with one of Ellie's groupies, who might be standing a bit too close to him for her comfort. Despite trying to maintain a respectable distance between them.

Lou knew quite well he was too much of a gentleman to even consider cheating on her, but seeing how perfectly happy he seemed attending this event, despite her not being there, hit her like a ton of bricks.

She was beyond crestfallen.

She couldn't help but feel that was her fault. She was the one who outright refused to come with him just for the sake of going on a mission (which she wasn't required to participate in). It turned out to be a routine DEA operation. Yes, Gaez's associates were involved in drug distribution and human trafficking, but that was just another Wednesday for them. And to make matters worse, she failed to get any dirt on that backstabbing blonde bimbo. As she initially suspected, Graham's enforcer didn't leave any trails behind; the double agent was still one step ahead.

Lou never stood a chance in the first place.

She should have gone with Chuck. If she did, she might have been part of something special, something extraordinarily romantic between them, which would have taken their relationship one step further.

But now she had lost that chance.

My life as a spy would always call out to me and Chuck would always gravitate towards keeping normalcy in his.

She was frustrated. She felt like she was losing Chuck with each passing moment and just didn't know how to stop it from happening. To stop him from leaving her.

After seeing the wedding unfold for a moment, watching the happy and very-much-in-love couple lean in for a shared kiss, she finally turned away from the scene. She silently walked along the hallway, feeling more miserable than she had ever been. Not even the day she was humiliated and nearly thrown into supermax prison by the backstabbing bitch she once called her best friend induced anywhere near as much heartbreak as she felt right now.

As she finally passed through the doors and out into the night, she looked back for one last moment, attempting to pull herself together. She tried her hardest to breathe while giving out a low sniffle. She desperately wiped away the tears coursing down her cheeks unchecked. She finally reached her motorcycle, wiping the tears away one last time, hoping they would stop for once and all.

Unfortunately for her, they never stopped even as she drove.

...xxxxxx...xxxxx...xxxxxx...

Chuck immediately returned to his apartment, feeling exhausted after what felt somewhat like being on a battleground. Upon hearing that his date didn't come, one of Ellie's eligible friends decided to accompany him on the assumption that he was suffering from an unhappy relationship. She had offered him a free physical, which he briefly considered accepting until he realized what kind of physical it would have been. Hell, the woman was truly gorgeous and had an impressive rack that threatened to burst out of her top whenever she'd been rubbing against him. He drove her away by triggering the 'Jill' effect and projecting the black hole of nerdiness every female he ever met was scared shitless of getting sucked into.

Needless to say, that method always worked wonders for him.

He played the role of "heartbroken man unable to get over his first love" a little too well, even for his liking. It truly felt like a second skin. Sometimes he even felt more comfortable while doing so to get Ellie to forgive him more easily when he couldn't make it to important occasions because of work.

Damn! I gotta be careful. At this rate I might turn into a habitual liar.

He sighed upon seeing a figure sitting on the sofa with most of the lights off. To anyone else, that scene might have looked like something straight out of some creepy slasher flick, Morgan forced him to watch every weekend back in their high school days but fortunately, in this case, Chuck had some inkling of what this whole thing was about.

He turned on the lights, letting out another sigh upon seeing an extremely miserable, morose-looking Lou sitting there, clad in a dark-brown leather jacket and jeans. He noticed her tear-stricken face and quickly made an educated guess. It helped that he had grown up in a household run by a strong-willed, highly capable, independent woman. And while it rarely happened since last few years, he had witnessed the seemingly perfect couple- Mr and Mrs Awesome- having some very nasty fights in particular. Despite usually remaining very much calm and collected, his sister had a fiery temper. There were a few times Devon didn't have much choice but to bring him in as a peacemaker.

Is she still upset about what happened in the morning? Oh no...this seems to be about something else altogether.

"You somehow finished the mission earlier than planned and made it to the venue." Chuck said casually, making a well educated guess, given how much time they used to spend together, he surely knew about his girlfriend's personality like back of his hand ."You saw me dancing with someone else and now you are pissed."

Lou kept staring at the ground, not showing any reaction at all. She still looked visibly distraught over something.

"I didn't cheat on you. Nothing happened between me and Rebecca. I didn't even know..." Chuck said as he moved closer to her but Lou interrupted him before he could speak any further.

"Remember what you said in the morning..." She spoke in a hoarse voice, appearing to be drunk as a skunk. stumbling in their reeking of alcohol "About us being two different people?"

Chuck shook his head. He knew this wasn't going to go well.

"I think you were right." Lou responded sadly as she stood up. "Any other guy could have approached me and I would be like... screw you. But you... you on the other hand... are... something else altogether." She chuckled. "For the longest time, I have pined after you like a greyhound wanting to chase after a rabbit . And that doesn't even sound funny right now."

Chuck was completely aghast upon seeing his ever elegant and graceful teacher, lover and above all that, dear friend in a situation like this.

"It's OK, Chuck. I understand... I am not mad." She slurred her words, not even able to keep her eyes open as she spoke. "I... know." She stretched her body in a cat-like manner, trying her hardest to not pass out. "Even your sister does. She is quite good at reading people, isn't she? She sees me for what I truly am. That's why... I detest her the most. I really am not good enough for you anymore, am I?" She started stumbling and was about to lose her balance before Chuck caught her.

"Lieutenant... Lou." Chuck held her gently, looking into her eyes. He tried his best to make her regain focus but her head just kept tilting back. "Just get some sleep, okay? I will prepare some ginger lemon tea for you."

"Is this what I'm supposed to get from my boyfriend? Sympathy disguised as affection?" She let out a humorless chuckle.

"I know you are upset, but you shouldn't be. I am here for you." Chuck tried his best to reassure her, gently stroking her forehead.

"I may not love you but there is one thing I am incredibly good at."

Chuck shook his head. She was just rambling at this point. "Come on, let's get you to bed. We will have a nice chat tomorrow."

"In fact, I am on a whole other level compared to everyone else when it comes to that." She grinned mischievously, trying to undo his pants. "So let's do go to bed."

Chuck gasped as he grabbed her hands, stopping her from moving them any further. "Louise Marie Bettignies! You need to take a rest, RIGHT NOW!" He cried, raising his voice towards the end.

All of a sudden she shoved him away with a surprising amount of strength, causing him to nearly fall over. "GO AWAY! GO AWAY! RUN TO THE SLUTTY FRIEND OF YOUR PIGHEADED SISTER!"

"Lieutenant, you need to calm down–"

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE A WOMAN LIKE ME, CHARLES IRVING BARTOWSKI! YOU WOULDN'T LAST A SINGLE DAY IN THE WORLD I LIVE IN! And I t-tried..." She paused to sob for a minute, then continued speaking. "And I tried so hard to get you to notice me, to get you to like me. But it was all a sham. Our relationship was based on nothing but meaningless sex. I am just lusting for you. This is all lust. You were right, Chuck. I don't love who you are, but what you are. I love the human Intersect and all the amazing things you can do with the computer in your head, not Chuck Bartowski, the person you truly are. Perhaps I never did fall in love you in the first place."

"But I do love you, Lou." Chuck said, apparently quite distraught upon hearing her say all those things.

Lou calmed down when Chuck spoke those words to her, but she still remained sad. "You are a sweet guy. You really are. But it seems I have made a great liar out of you. You have learned not only to fool others but yourself as well. I certainly taught you well, didn't I?" She sighed miserably. "I will always be just an afterthought to you. A distraction holding you back from realizing your true potential... You are your father's son. You have a great and vulnerable destiny ahead of you. After a lot of drinking... sorry, thinking..." She babbled for a moment, momentarily unable to form a proper sentence, "...I can finally say what I should. I am just a mean, angry, spiteful woman. Don't let me corrupt you. You are meant to be a hero, Chuck." He shook his head. "I am serious. Get the hell out of my home and my life. Otherwise I will make you."

"You mean... I can't have a normal relationship with anyone because I am a freak with a computer stuck inside my brain? Is that what you are trying to insinuate?" Chuck snapped. He was really starting to get angry right now.

"You are a clever man, Charles. One day you will figure out what to do with your life. But I can't help you anymore. You'll have to figure it out on your own, or with someone you can trust."

"I don't have anyone to share my secrets with." Chuck whispered, almost as if he was begging her to let him stay. "You are the only friend I have, Lou. I don't have anywhere else to go."

Lou didn't even bother looking up as she pointed towards the guest room. "I already packed your luggage. Please leave, Chuck. Don't make me make you."

While Chuck felt a little angry, he bore no ill will towards her. He was disappointed at how Lou chose to conduct herself but couldn't bring himself to hate her. Throughout his life, he had the gift of looking beyond a person's outer persona and meeting someone so similar to him could only be destiny's work. He couldn't completely object to what she said but didn't believe the beautiful friendship between them was nothing but a sham. Nonetheless, he could also tell she had made her mind up; knowing how stubborn she could be, he knew better than to argue with her. He simply headed for the guest room to gather his stuff.

Even when he was about to head out, Lou faced the wall and refused to meet his gaze. He heard her speak for the last time once he stepped out of her apartment.

"Remember when I told you I would always be by your side, Chuck?"

"I do. As it turns out you are a much better liar than I could ever be." Chuck responded with a bitter smile. Sparing one final glance at her, he walked down the stairs. It was still night-time and he had no place to settle. And it wouldn't be easy to find a hotel that wasn't fully booked.

Feeling miserable, Chuck Bartowski wandered around the streets of Washington DC for an hour or two, in the ridiculous suit he wore to Arthur Woodcomb Jr's wedding. Everywhere seemed to be full. He just couldn't find a place to stay no matter how hard he tried.

He finally sat down on a parking bench near a garden, trying to think of what to do. He looked at his smartphone and called Devon. He seemed to have a lot of friends in DC so he might be able to help him out.

After a minute of ringing, it went to voicemail.

"Hello, this is Dr Devon Woodcomb. I am not available to talk right now–"

Chuck immediately hung up. He figured Devon was dealing with a medical emergency or – more likely on this particular day – enjoying their happy time just like a certain pair of newlyweds.

"Great. Who else am I supposed to call? Morgan? Nah, dude still practically lives with his mom. I doubt he knows anyone in DC who would let me in at this hour." Chuck muttered. Slightly leaning back to relax, he took a deep long breath before staring at the moon above, then at the electronic device attached to his wrist.

"Ha! Your son is on a roll, Dad! Another relationship down the drain." Chuck let out a dejected sigh as a deep frown replaced his usually cheerful and carefree expression. "Is this what I am destined to become, Stephen? A freak who keeps getting left behind by everyone he cares for? I know you are still somewhere. I know you are still keeping an eye on me. Things have not been going that well for your son, as you probably know. You must have your reasons for not helping, but who else am I supposed to turn to?"

As if on cue, the watch's screen flashed bright red, expressing displeasure at his tone.

Shocked, Chuck wondered if his father was truly capable of communicating with him through the device on his wrist. However, the screen simply went back to its original color, displaying the date and time.

"Dad, are you there?" Chuck asked, his eyes filled with awe and curiosity. This time, there were no changes in the screen color. Not even a flicker.

After asking multiple questions and receiving no answers to them, he started getting frustrated. Either the device really didn't work that way, or his father was now ignoring him. Regardless, he felt the need to vent. "Fine, you stupid old fart!" He cursed, raising a middle finger to the sky.

Staring into the device's screen, Chuck didn't recognize the eyes that stared back at him. They looked extremely similar to his own, marked by rage instead of depression. They seemed to be tired beyond exhaustion, unlike his own. A voice in his head told him that the eyes looking back at him belonged not to him, but to a certain man who had achieved things, who made scientific and technological breakthroughs left and right throughout his career, some of which he couldn't possibly imagine even in his wildest dreams. Yet at the same time, for some reasons only known to himself, he felt compelled to leave everything behind on a whim... including his children. The greatest innovations of all.

Orion