Ch 3: Never Start up a Tab

After a bit of hunting it turned out that Chuck had found a job working at an old bar. This was great for the owner as his old age was catching up with him, and when the owner retired he gave it to Chuck as a promotion and a thank you gift.

Will and Rhiannon walked in but were stopped just short of the bar, Will had turned white.

'Ah, dad?' Rhiannon asked as she poked him in the ribs. 'You ok?' He was as pale as Snow White in a snowstorm.

Will shook his head to try and collect his bearings, and he chanced another look around. This was the bar where he had first met Skylar and he couldn't begin to figure out the chances that Chuck could have possibly owned this one. What were the odds in that?

'Um, yeah, I think so.' He shook his head and turned to look down at her; she really was so much like her mother that it was scary.

The woman behind the bar was talking with a few of the customers; she was middle aged, plump, smoking a cigarette and supporting the biggest hair-do Rhiannon had ever seen. She acted as if she knew the customers fairly well, looking at photos of loved one's and shouting them drinks. Will guessed she's been working for Chuck a while, but he was sure that his brother was around here somewhere.

'Excuse me!' Will yelled down to the woman in hope that she could hear him over the music. 'I'm looking for a Mr. Chuck Sullivan, do you know where I can find him?'

The she turned around but was hesitant at first to answer as she had never seen this bloke before. 'Who wants to know?'

Will thought this was a little odd because Chuck was never in any real trouble to warrant a caution to those looking for him, but he guessed things do change with time. 'I'm his brother, Will Hunting.'


'I never thought you would show up. Old Chuck used to rant on about how his youngest brother, Will, had gone on to bigger and better things. He was extremely proud.' The woman had led them in to the back room where they could talk in private.'"But then I thought that I would have met you as soon as you heard.'

'Right, um, as soon as I heard about what? And why do you keep talking about him in past tense?' Will was unsure about what this woman was trying to tell him and her whole demeanor seemed withheld.

She went quiet but out of respect for her employer she decided to enlighten this poor guy. 'Chuck was the only casualty in the Boston bar shootings. They tore this place apart and Chuck ended up in the I.C.U. with a bullet in the back. The bullet got really close to his spinal cord, so close that they had no hope of trying to remove it. He gradually got better and they transferred him to a regular ward. A week later he took a turn for the worst.' She poured Will and her self a drink.

'He knew you'd flip your boat and go after the guys if you found out, so on his death bed he asked me to give you these when you came down to pay your respects.' The woman pulled out a bunch of letters, they were mostly old and ratty like they have been in an old draw collecting dust.

'So what you are saying is that Chuck didn't want me here when he needed me most…he just died without telling me!' In one moment Will's world came crashing down, his only family had gone to his grave without saying good-bye. His best mate left him in the dark and didn't tell him a thing, not one phone call or message. 'How can he just do this! After all we had been through and being family and all he wouldn't pick up the phone to say something!' He banged the table so hard with a full fist that even Rhiannon could hear him from the pool table out front. 'I didn't even get a letter for the funeral or the memorial service, son-of-a-!'

'Please, he meant to protect you and your new family.' She tried to get through to him as he stood up and hit a wall. 'He just didn't want to dig up any old memories that this place may have had for you.' Trying to calm him in this way wasn't having any effect as he hit the wall again so she thought a better angle may work better.

'Look I don't have enough cash to replace everything again so calm down!' Will turned to her realizing that he was out of line and didn't want to cause her any trouble. 'Now, this letter contains Chuck's last words. Do you want to read it or not?' She waved a letter in front of him as he sat down.

Will was silent. His best mate and brother had betrayed him by failing to tell him of this, but he couldn't deny him his final wish. As he opened the letter he noticed the others sitting next to the jug of beer.

'What are those others?' He asked hoping that these weren't other messages from his other brothers that may have passed on.

'Oh these?' She pointed to the stack of envelopes. 'These are from a man named 'Sean Maguire' and he aint dead, if that's what you are wandering, because we still get these once every so often.'

Sean Maguire, now that was a name that he hadn't heard in long while. Sean was the only person that ever took the time to try and help him, even when Will treated him like hell in the beginning. The only person who understood.

'Look I'll leave you too it, just give us a yell when your done.' She got up to leave but Will stopped her.

"Um, would you mind…?'

She put her hand up and smiled 'I'll keep an eye on your little one.' She left with out a further word.