Notes: Final chapter.. I know this was a short one but at least I finished it. I'm finally starting to write again after burning out. I do have another fic in progress so hopefully there'll be a new story in a week or so.
Chapter 5
Chuck was hovering. It wouldn't be an issue, except Mozzie was loving it.
"I'm trying to concentrate," Bryce said, putting down his paintbrush. "Moz, there's a reason I usually have you do other things while I'm working."
"Charles is looking to learn. You might be agents for the man, but I won't ignore the thirst for knowledge this young one has."
"Chuck isn't that young. Also, he's a computer guy, not an art guy. Please stop commentating all my movements."
"I wouldn't have thought you were an art guy either," Sarah commented from the couch. At least she was mostly staying out of this. "Although Chuck doesn't seem surprised."
"I'm surprised!" Chuck insisted. "Bryce's painting looks just like the real one."
"Not yet." Bryce could only see all the differences which identified it as a forgery.
"We still need to bake it in the oven."
"Moz."
"Relax. I'm not telling them everything." Mozzie took the painting off the easel and disappeared with it.
"By the way, even as a copy, that painting is worth a lot," Chuck mused. "I'm surprised you didn't fund your way through college on copies."
"I didn't fully have the skills yet." Bryce ignored the way Sarah sat up, listening.
"Bryce. I saw your D&D character page. Not everyone could sketch up such a cool picture of their character." Chuck turned to Sarah. "Bryce did all the pictures for our campaigns."
"Yes, but it wasn't until I met Mozzie that I was given the instruction on how to use that skill set in forgery. Forgery is a crime too, Chuck."
Chuck shrugged it off. "Yeah, that would be more convincing if it wasn't the FBI asking for this painting."
"It is surprising that Chuck sees no issue with forgery but also that you have Neal's skills, Bryce."
Bryce spared a glance at the paint brush. "It is curious."
"I wonder if the Intersect had something to do with it."
"We'll probably never know." Bryce had to be realistic, they would probably never figure out how this happened. It's probably some kind of specific set of circumstances that would be impossible to replicate. "Let's just be glad it did." And that everyone remembered him.
Hughes looked over the painting. He pulled out a small magnifier and continued to examine it.
"Not that I'm doubting Hughes, but why aren't you examining the painting?" Bryce asked Peter. After all, there was a reason Peter was good at catching him.
"Hughes has just as much skill as I do in identifying forgeries."
"Then why did you need Neal?" Chuck questioned. Sarah hadn't come this time, choosing instead to tail Mozzie and see what he was up to. Bryce only allowed it because he knew Mozzie would eventually lose her.
"Neal had the best range of knowledge without taking a week to research an item. Hughes produced the list of paintings he wanted Bryce to try and copy; of course, they're all works for which he can identify forgeries."
Bryce remembered the list. He had thought that the FBI was requesting a number of copies when they handed it to him. He had held back from commenting that he could have done any of the paintings on the list. Being able to choose meant that he could stretch his painting muscles in the way he wanted.
Chuck smirked as Hughes announced that it was a passable forgery. "Looks like Bryce is the best now."
"Neal and Bryce are the same person."
Bryce was surprised that Peter could say that with no hesitation.
Hughes got their attention by explaining that he also wanted Bryce to do some translation work for him. He placed a number of different documents on the table. Bryce picked up the pen. He also ignored the disapproving look Hughes gave Peter and Chuck.
Each document was different. Different kinds of texts and in different languages. However, they were all languages that Neal, and also Bryce, knew. Bryce picked a few from the pile.
"I'm not doing all of these. Not unless you're going to pay me."
"Are you saying you can do them all?" Hughes asked.
Just watch me, Bryce thought with a smirk on his face. He grabbed the pen and started translating. He could almost translate everything.
"We were underpaying Neal," Peter commented as he looked over Bryce's translations.
"Neal was a criminal. His wage was based off what he would have made in prison. Because prison was the alternative."
Chuck glared at Hughes. Hughes ignored him.
"Bryce will be paid a proper wage befitting of someone of his skillset," Hughes announced.
"What?" Chuck gasped.
"I haven't accepted yet."
Peter's shoulders slumped as he glanced between Hughes and Bryce.
"We both know that the FBI atmosphere is better than the CIA's. And Peter won't take anyone else as his partner."
"What about Diana or Jones?"
"They work better with each other and I know it," Hughes said. "I have enough pull with the CIA to transfer you over."
Bryce looked over at his old friend. "Chuck? What do you think?"
Chuck frowned and Bryce's heart sunk. "How do you have pull with the CIA?" he asked Hughes.
"I did some work for them when I was part of the NSA. This is before I came out of retirement to re-join the FBI."
Chuck's eyes widened and Bryce could see the admiration grow.
"Chuck, you've literally stormed a CIA controlled area with Russian agents and saved CIA top brass a number of times. How are you impressed with Hughes' background?"
"Because there aren't many people like him! And you're impressed too!"
Bryce's tongue clicked. He thought he had managed to hide that. "You can't join the FBI, Chuck."
"But you can," Peter said. "There's a place for you here, Bryce."
"There are holes that Neal's erasure left. You can fill them in your own way. I should probably cash in my favours with the CIA before I retire officially anyway."
"Chuck?" Bryce knew that Chuck enjoyed them being together.
"I think it's an amazing opportunity. And we wouldn't be here if you weren't at least a little bit open to it."
"What makes you so sure?" Bryce knew his reputation was cold-hearted spy. It had thawed out a little; as had every agents' reputation who worked in Chuck's team. However, that didn't change the fact that many people had him pegged as a CIA career spy and little else.
"You were pretty excited to come here. And you were certain that the people searching for you weren't evil spies set on finishing the job the Ring started."
"I was not excited." It was important to him to clear that up. "But I am open to moving to New York. Sorry Chuck, but Burbank isn't New York. And have you seen June's apartment?"
Chuck couldn't figure out what Bryce liked about New York. It was just crowded to him. Too many cars, too many buildings and too many people. "I've seen June's apartment. Yes."
"Have you tried the coffee?" Peter asked.
"The coffee?" No, he had not. Although he had seen Bryce sipping a cup with a smile on his face. "Nevermind. All I want is to not be the one to tell Sarah."
"Sara?" Peter questioned, wondering when Chuck met the insurance investigator that was just as good at handling Neal as he had been. Hughes nodded like this was a wise decision.
Feeling his cheeks heating up, Bryce explained that Chuck's wife was also named Sarah. "Yeah, I'll do that." He swallowed just thinking about it but it would be a small price to pay to keep his 'coffee in the clouds'. Neal may have been some kind illusion or mass delusion but Bryce felt like these were things that he had earned. And they were still here.
"Consider it punishment for letting yourself get poached by the FBI. Casey will never let you live this down."
"If I play this right, I'll never have to see Casey again."
Chuck winced. "True."
Peter had that disapproving look on.
"That doesn't mean I don't want to see you and Sarah again, Chuck. It's just Casey that I'd rather not see."
"You two seemed to be getting along."
"He likes talking guns at me. You know 'all the better to shoot you with'. I get that he's still mad I survived that one time he shot me-"
"He what?" Peter growled.
Bryce and Chuck jumped.
"And now he'll never be able to come in here without getting lectured."
Chuck let out a laugh as he said, "fair enough. Casey certainly deserves that punishment."
Bryce nodded his agreement. "Also, there's some changes I'll make to Neal's life. Like getting a gaming computer. Can't believe Neal got around with just Mozzie's laptop."
"Oooh, a hacker-station!" Chuck squealed.
"No." Peter was quick to shut down any mention of illegal activities. Of course, he knew that Mozzie was still in the picture and that he probably had access to something like that but probablys weren't certainties.
"I can just buy a gaming laptop, Chuck. It's so we can play together without having to cross the country."
Chuck nodded, eager to say something but since it involved emulating console games on a computer, something the FBI had made propaganda about not doing, he kept his mouth shut.
The screen lit up with the welcoming screen before loading language/location selection.
"Ugh. I think Neal had the right idea," Bryce groaned as he started setting up the computer. Chuck's responding laugh sounded from the phone next to him. Bryce had moved back to New York while Chuck returned to Burbank. Ironically enough, they were keeping in better contact than they had done in years. There was an effort they put in when not working in the same place.
"You did plenty of these for the Buy More."
"No, I just gave them to Jeff. First boot of a Buy More laptop is idiot-proof. And boring." It was just click and wait for a new menu. Then click and wait.
"I'd be mad if I didn't do the same thing."
"Now I'm wondering if Jeff and Lester are actually hard workers and we were the slackers. Always taking time off for 'off-site installs.'" Basically, they were often away for CIA missions.
"How is working for the White Collar division?" Chuck asked.
Bryce hummed as he thought. It was a challenge. He had to show that he wasn't just some upstart young agent who had 'tricked' Peter into taking him under his wing.
Like he could trick Peter.
"I'm grateful that the White Collar division remembers me." Even if the rest of the FBI didn't seem to.
"They were the closest to Neal."
"I know. I think Mozzie has some theories about what happened to cause this double life of mine but it seems to have ended well and no one is trying to kill me so-"
"All's well that ends well?" Chuck commented.
"Pretty much."
Peter shouldn't have been surprised to see Bryce sitting at a computer, headphones on and looking frustrated, but he was.
"You need to go left, left!" Bryce frantically operated the computer. "Look, I can only see part of the compound and the target is about to head into the black spot- DON'T GO RUNNING IN! Chuck! Ugh!" Bryce ran a hand through his hair. "Hi Peter, I'll talk in a moment."
"Are you playing a game?" Peter questioned. He was glad for the coffee June had handed him as it helped him process this strange scene.
"I wish. At least then Chuck's 'gung-ho' style won't get him killed." Bryce clicked on a different comm. "Sarah, please tell me you're following Chuck." A pause. "Good. I'll…" Bryce groaned. "I'll stay on Casey then."
"So, can I ask what's happening?"
Bryce looked up from the screen. "Chuck's team is on a mission and they asked me to coordinate because they don't have the van for this one. I've muted my mic now because Casey doesn't want to hear my voice and I don't need to direct him at all."
"Why not?"
"Casey's a sniper. If he needs me, he'll tell me."
Peter really wanted to believe that this was some kind of video game but his gut told him it wasn't. "Sounds stressful."
Bryce nodded. "Especially since I thought we'd be done by now or I wouldn't have agreed." He then flinched and held up a hand to keep Peter from talking. "Really! Chuck got him? Good. Is everything clear? Can I go to work now?" Bryce sighed in relief and took off the headphones. "What?" he questioned, seeing Peter's smile.
"It's nice to see you working with a team."
"I work with Diana and Jones all the time."
"Maybe it's coordinating the team I like seeing."
Bryce smirked. "Maybe I'd do that if people stopped treating me like a rookie."
"Now, now, Diana and Jones know that there's more to you than that. They just like making you get coffee."
Bryce raised an eyebrow and stared pointedly at Peter's own coffee drink. Peter chuckled.
"Let's just get to work," he said to Bryce.
