Chuck woke up with the sun like he did most days, as cliched as it was. He was sleeping on Morgan's couch, but a sleep pattern is a pattern.
He snuck into the shower and prepped himself for his first day of work. After his quick shower, Chuck observed himself in the mirror.
His eyes were bright and intelligent, focused and ready for a brand new start. His hair was longer than he liked, and his untamable curls stopped any notion he could have had about combing it out.
What stuck out the most was the bushy beard hat had attached itself to his face, and grown thicker over time. If he was a professor or an author, even a lighthouse keeper, he would have thought it distinguished. But for being a Nerd Herd employer… he wasn't so big on.
Chuck sighed, submitting to what he had to work with, and he got dressed before tiptoeing out of the bathroom.
"Oh hey, man, you're up early," Chuck greeted Morgan.
Morgan yawned and meekly waived at him. "Yeah, there's a new guy coming in today and Big Mike wants me to give him the store tour. The dude's not even a green shirt, so I don't know why I have to do it."
Chuck laughed and said, "It's me, buddy. I'm the new guy. I got the Nerd Herder job."
Morgan's face lit up so fast, Chuck wasn't sure how it didn't hurt him. "Oh my God, dude, that's awesome! Congratulations!" Morgan blurted out and wrapped Chuck in a crushing hug. "I'll get ready, then we'll go head in.
Monday morning was harsh for Sarah Walker. She knew today was Chuck's first day, and she was happy for him, definitely proud of him. He was doing honest work, helping people with big and small tech issues to improve their daily lives.
Any homeless individual within a half mile of the dark park had been told to vacate to a different area with no room to argue. Sarah had to tell a few herself. Every person she gave the order to had Chuck's eyes.
She didn't know when they, when Chuck, would be able to return to the park without facing civil consequences.
The homeless population was constantly rising, and so was visible homeless in the city. While the City pontificated about cleaning the streets up, they made it Sarah's problem to fix.
While policy makers argued about what to do about the epidemic, Sarah had to face it every day, and the homeless had to suffer every day two fold; living through the reality they were in, and living through their perceived existences as a blight on the city, as something to be cleaned and not so much as to be helped.
As Sarah sat in her patrol car and stared at the bench Chuck usually inhabited, she shared a small smile with a pug, one she knew Chuck liked, and who seemed to be sniffing out for him at Chuck's bench.
Chuck was starting work, and that was wonderful. Work only solved a few of Chuck's problems. Chuck was still homeless. Living in L.A. is so expensive, which only increases the plight of Chuck and his fellow dispossessed.
Ellie was still missing, and though official authorities were on the lookout, she had heard nothing yet. Sarah could neither confirm nor deny that Chuck's sister was still alive. Chuck hadn't even asked how the official channel's searches were going. He seemed to have zero faith in the system's ability to find a foster kid that had bounced around the system and hadn't been heard from in at least a year.
Sarah liked Chuck, she really did. She still didn't know him that well. He had the kindest eyes she had ever seen on a human being, and that's why she hated her brain for giving his eyes to every person she shooed away.
How much could she really help Chuck? How much would Chuck be able to accept from her while keeping a healthy conscience? How much faith and trust could she hold in Chuck?
Chuck wasn't a bad man, seemingly at all. But Chuck was still a large male in a tough situation. He was pulling up out of it, but Sarah didn't know, didn't trust her gut enough yet, to completely offer Chuck valuable space in her apartment. Every time she saw Chuck, it got harder and harder for her to let Chuck go off to the outdoors again, but she did have her safety to consider. All it would take was one drop of her defenses, for… well, anything to happen to her. She could say, "not Chuck! Chuck would never do that!" Sarah had to consider, though, how many people fell victim to that?
Sarah wished she could trust every human she bumped into, but as a seasoned cop, she knew better. She resolved herself to continue to help Chuck in any small ways she possibly could. That included being his friend. It included sharing thunderstorms with him in her car, and then heading back in after the storm passed to sleep in her bed. It included stealing glances of Chuck as he snored peacefully next to, and her whispering good night before sneaking away back inside.
Chuck and Morgan strolled in through the front doors, and Morgan brought him straight to Big Mike's office.
"Mornin' Chief. Me and Chuck are reporting for duty," Morgan said with a half-assed salute.
"Grimes, you know the new kid already?" Mike asked, looking over from his computer screen.
"I sure do," Morgan confirmed. "I was one of Chuck's references…."
"I didn't read his references," Mike stated plainly.
"You can't work in sweats, Bartowski. Grimes, bring him to the employee lockers and get him suited up."
"Yes sir," Morgan said and led Chuck out.
"Oh, and Bartowski, welcome to the team, son." Mike nodded at the scarecrow of a man and went back to his computer.
Chuck nodded back and followed Morgan through the store. "Employee locker to suit up?" Chuck asked, fishing for clarification.
"Yeah. We supply you with a uniform, dude. White button shirt, black slacks for you, and a name tag. The name tag will come with your first paycheck. We get paid every two weeks, with an hours sheet every week we don't get the paycheck, so they alternate," Morgan explained with zero emotion, and Chuck wondered just how many times he'd given the drill.
"They supply the uniform?" Chuck double-checked, and he felt like a weight vest had been taken off of him.
"Yeah man. We keep a locker full of crap for new guys. You pull out what you need, and then Big Mike expenses it."
Chuck and Morgan were now to the stand-up locker of shirts, pants, and ties. Next to that was an identical locker with khakis and green polos. Chuck picked his sizes and disappeared into the employee bathroom next to the breakroom. Chuck came out a moment later, feeling completely, well, mostly crisp.
"Look at you, dude! You look like a million bucks!" Morgan said, a smile on his face. "Alright, let's get you to your station."
Before Chuck and Morgan could get out of the break room, a man no larger than Morgan came in.
"Grimes, you're actually early?" asked the little man, sipping an iced coffee, that Chuck didn't even want to think about how much it cost him, but he was thinking about it.
"I need to train up the new guy," Morgan said, flicking a thumb over at Chuck.
"We're hiring homeless dog whisperers now?"
"You know what? Shut your mouth, Harry," Morgan spat back, stepping between the short, bald man and Chuck. "You're the kind of asshole who says if people don't want to be homeless, they should work, and when they get work, you still kick them for being homeless. What the hell is the matter with you?"
"I'm your boss, Grimes. You can't…."
"No you're not," Morgan laughed. "You're the assistant manager. You can't fire me. Tell Big Mike why I got in your face. See what happens."
"He doesn't have to tell me, Grimes. I heard it," the real boss himself said. "We'll talk about this later, Harry. Go hit the floor," Big Mike ordered, and Harry ducked off without a fight.
"You look a lot better, Bartowski," Mike said, taking Chuck in from head to toe. He stopped at Chuck's toes. He sighed and looked back up at Chuck. "Those shoes are pretty rough looking, son."
"I know, sir, and I'm sorry," Chuck said dejectedly, his chin nearly touching his chest.
"Take this, get some real shoes back on your feet, and pay me back when you can. Consider it an investment in a new company asset," Big Mike said, fishing in his wallet and handing Chuck $50. "Morgan, go with him and get him back as soon as you two can. Stay a bit later to make up the time."
Big Mike left without any other words.
Chuck looked down at his hand, Ulysses S. Grant looking back at him. He looked up at Morgan and just shrugged.
"You heard boss man; let's go get you some shoes," Morgan said, rubbing his hands together.
"Sergeant Walker, we have a potential shoplifting call at the Large Mart on Market St. Something about shoes."
"Alright, I'm on it," Sarah said into the receiver. "Patel, you ready to go?" Sarah asked her partner as they finished up a morning break.
"We still have five minutes, but the world must stop for Large Mart shoes," Lester said with a shrug as he scooped out the remnants of his yogurt cup.
It didn't take Sarah and Lester long to get there, and everything seemed ordinary. It definitely didn't seem like an armed robbery situation.
"Alright, let's go double check this guy's receipt or whatever, and get back to the patrol," Sarah said as she exited the cruiser.
"Roger that," Lester said, right behind her.
It didn't take them long at all to follow the aisle signs and find the shoes. When they did, Sarah couldn't help but to shake her head.
"What's going on today, gentleman?" Sarah asked, her thumbs tucked into her large black belt.
"Just shoppin' for shoes, ma'am," Chuck said, giving no sign that he knew her. "Everything okay?" he asked.
"I hope so," Sarah replied. "We received a call here about a potential shoplifter. Seen anything fishy?"
Chuck's face fell, and Morgan's did, too. "No, ma'am. I haven't seen anything or anyone out of the ordinary."
"Patel, wanna do a quick walk-around, see if you find anything weird?"
"Sounds good, Sarge. I'll check electronics… wait a minute…." Lester said, looking at the much shorter bearded men. "Morgan? Morgan Grimes?"
"Lester?!" Morgan asked back, his eyes growing wide in realization. "How the hell are you? I haven't seen you since your last day at the Buy More!" Morgan said happily, and the two embraced in a full hug.
"I am doing very well, my fine-feathered friend. I didn't recognize you because of that magnificent beard you're sporting these days," Patel said, both men smiling ear to ear.
"Oh, this old thing?" Morgan smiled. "Chuck, you wanna keep shopping here while I scope out the electronics with Officer Patel, here? I know a thing or two about electronics shop lifters," Morgan said, puffing out his chest.
The two walked off, leaving an incredulous Sarah and an equally confused Chuck.
"Did both of our coworkers just leave us behind?" Chuck asked, laughing.
"Yes, yes they did," Sarah confirmed, crossing her arms over her body armor. "Aren't you working today, Chuck?" Sarah asked, assuming the homeless man in front of her was the one the call was about. Patel and Morgan were doing the due diligence.
"I'm technically working now, actually," Chuck said with a nod. "My new boss, Big Mike, sent me and Morgan here with a $50 advance on my first paycheck so I could get new shoes."
Sarah tried to help it, but she couldn't. She smiled ear to ear, and it made Chuck smile back at her. "That's great, Chuck. And the dress code looks good on you, too."
"Thanks, Sergeant Walker," Chuck was still smiling, but a blush was on his face now, even though he was 98% sure Sarah wasn't flirting with him.
"What time are you getting off?" Sarah asked, nonchalantly looking at her phone.
"Uh… it would have been 5, but me and Morgan have to work a bit of OT because we're here now. So 6, probably."
Sarah smiled at her phone and flitted her eyes up to Chuck. "Great. I get off at 5:30. I'll grab you from the Buy More at 6."
"Where are… where are we going?" Chuck asked, his brows furrowed and his lips pursed.
"It's your first day of your new job. I'm taking you out for ice cream. If you survive your shift, that is," Sarah teased.
"With the promise of ice cream after work, and with a new pair of shoes, there's no way I could fail."
"Hey Chuck?" Sarah asked, her work face back into place.
"Yeah?" Chuck asked, looking back at her.
"Do you have any idea why someone would report a 'potential shoplifter' and even mention shoes?"
"I do," Morgan said, he and Lester returning. "I bet I even knew who called in; our asshole of an assistant manager, Harry Tang. He was giving Chuck grief this morning about his… situation."
"Any idea why he'd do that?" Lester asked, stepping up.
"I don't know," Morgan shrugged.
"He must have some kind of axe to grind against me," Chuck said. "Some insecurity of his own that I set off?"
"That's gotta be a pretty big one for him to call the cops like that," Sarah said, absentmindedly chewing a fingernail. "Keep an eye on him, okay?" she suggested. "Officer Patel, let's roll out."
"Morgan, we gotta hang soon," Lester said, pointing straight at him.
"Alright, but my boy Chuck here is coming," Morgan said back.
"Bet on it. I'd love to meet you out of work, Chuck."
And like that, it was Morgan and Chuck again.
"Did you find some shoes, homie?"
"Sorry, Morg. I got distracted," Chuck shrugged.
"Distracted talking to that cop that's hot enough to stop traffic?" Morgan teased.
"Her name is Sarah." Chuck said, realizing he was nearly bristling.
"You didn't deny that she's hot though," Morgan said, shooting Chuck full of finger gun holes.
"I respect her, Morgan, but I'm not blind," Chuck mumbled.
"Ah yeah, son," Morgan teased. "I think she likes you, dude."
Chuck just stared at him, dumbfounded. "You have no reason to even say that. We're friends and that's it. She's got a heart of gold and she's helping a friend."
"Alright bro, my bad," Morgan said, holding his hands up. "I'm just saying, you could definitely do worse."
"Yeah, well she could definitely do better," Chuck grumbled as he pulled a shoe in his size off the shelf.