They sit and watch the waves all night, eating Fritos and dip and drinking Red Bull.

It's sickeningly sweet and Bryce wrinkles his nose. "This stuff is foul."

"But it'll keep ya goin," Chuck replies, lying back in the sand.

They sit in silence for a long moment.

"I never slept with Jill," Bryce says out of nowhere. "It occurs to me that you and everyone else think I stole Jill from you because that's what she said, but-"

"Jill's Fulcrum," Chuck replies. "And I know you and Jill were never together. She told me."

Bryce frowns. "When did you-?"

"We dated again for little," Chuck says casually. "Til I found out she was Fulcrum. Then I arrested her. And then she helped us on a mission and I let her go."

"You what?"

"Yep. Let her go. Sent her on her way. She's on the run somewhere."

"Are you crazy?" Bryce cries. "What the hell? Why do you trust everybody?"

Chuck shrugs. "Cause I'm a sap."

Bryce frowns. "I'm starting to think you're never going to take this seriously. Maybe I should just ship you to Langley."

Chuck just looks at him.

"You don't seem to get it," Bryce says. "Your life is in Dan-"

Chuck shakes his head and gets to his feet. "There is no way I'm gonna sit here and let you give me this lecture."

Bryce scrambles to his feet. "Oh yes you are."

"You know what, Bryce? You did this. All of this. This is all on you, buddy," Chuck says. He's obviously trying to keep his calm, but it's hard. It's hard because there's so much bottled up crap. "You got me booted out of school so I wouldn't be a spy because you think I can't handle it, and then you sent me the Intersect!"

"I had no choice! I was dying!"

"You keep screwing with my life!" Chuck yells, finally letting it loose.

They stare at each other.

Bryce turns and starts walking away.

"If you don't let me make my own choices, how am I ever gonna get anything right?" Chuck asks. "Nobody tells me anything, so of course I screw everything up. Everybody lies and withholds information. Nobody can look me in the eye and just tell me something."

Bryce turns around and stalks over to him. "We're spies! Lying saves our asses! You want touchy-feely share time, you picked the wrong profession!"

"I didn't choose this," Chuck says quietly. "You don't give me any choices."

"No," Bryce snaps. "You chose to take in the 2.0. You could have just as easily destroyed it."

"You know I couldn't."

"Because you're a sap," Bryce replies.

"And you're heartless," Chuck says quietly.

Bryce looks down. He really shouldn't have said that.

Chuck swallows, obviously regretting his words. "So...so I guess that balances out somehow."

Bryce sighs.

"Maybe...maybe we shouldn't play Gotcha if you want me to be a serious business spy student," Chuck says. "Don't train me like your friend. Train me like any other recruit."

"This is really what you want?" Bryce asks, shoving his hands into his pockets. "The spy life. This is what you want?"

Chuck nods.

"And it's not just because you want Sarah."

"No!" Chuck cries. "That's nuts! Bryce, I want more than just days at the Buy More! I want more than going home and seeing Ellie give me that 'poor Chuck, he's so lost' look! I want...I want my life to mean something more!"

Bryce closes his eyes and nods. Of course he does. He's been stuck in a rut for years, of course Chuck wants me, but Bryce thinks he's overshooting.

"Okay. Then we gotta step it up. No more fooling around. No more thinking this is all fun and games and jokes."

"You know, I'm not the only one who's guilty of that," Chuck says defensively. "You screw around just as much at the Buy More. You know what I think, Agent Larkin, I think you really like being here and hanging out with me and pretending to be a real person again and I think it's confusing your tiny brain and you're taking it out on me."

"That's what you think?"

"That's what I think."

"That I have a tiny brain."

Chuck nods. "Itty bitty."

Bryce has him in a headlock in seconds, and Chuck flashes, grabs Bryce and flips him over, sending him into the sand with a loud thud.

Bryce huffs and grins. "Good!"

*****

They stumble back to Bryce's hotel room after the sun comes up, and Sarah's door opens.

"Ooh, busted," Bryce says with a cringe. "Morning, Sarah."

"Where the hell have you two been?" she asks, walking over and dusting sand from Chuck's
shirt. It's ripped at the sleeve, and there are buttons missing. "And Chuck, why do you have a black eye? And- Bryce, you're bleeding!"

"We had a come to Jesus talk," Bryce says, dabbing at the blood on his lip. His own Nerd Herd shirt is pretty much ruined as well. "That sort of turned into a Karate Kid, training on the beach as the sun rises moment."

"And by training, he means we beat the holy hell out of each other." Chuck slumps against the wall.

"It's the same thing," Bryce says casually. "I was gonna let Chuck borrow a shirt and then we were gonna go get coffee and do more training."

"Kicking each other's asses," Chuck corrects.

"Still the same thing, buddy."

Sarah narrows her eyes. "Bryce, kicking the crap out of each other isn't a way to train him."

"It gets the Intersect going," Bryce replies. "And he holds his own. Notice how I'm bleeding and he's not."

"He has a black eye!" Sarah cries. She takes Chuck's face in her hands and looks him over.

He lets her, a little breathless at her being so close. "It's fine, Sarah. I'll tell Ellie that Bryce and I finally had it out and we got into a fist fight but we're still friends."

"You need sleep before you do any more training," Sarah says.

"Nope. No sleep," Bryce shakes his head as he gets his door open. "Training. He can sleep tonight."

"But-"

"Sarah you and Casey are Chuck's handlers. His protectors," Bryce tells her. "I respect that. But Beckman made me his trainer. It's not like Chuck's never stayed up all night and all day before. That's all he ever did in college. And he doesn't even have work today. He'll be fine."

Sarah frowns and gazes at Chuck.

He smiles at her, and, bravely, leans forward and kisses her cheek. "I'm good, Sarah. Really. Casey's gonna meet us at Castle and then he's gonna test the Intersect out on boxing. It's gonna be really painful, but it'll build character."

Sarah takes a deep breath and nods. "I'll meet you there," she says. "Maybe later we can work on some Aikido."

"Hey, AIkido!" Chuck grins. "It's a date!"

Sarah grins a little, obviously a little awkward with Bryce standing right there, but Chuck keeps smiling. She pats his shoulder and walks back to her room, closing the door and Chuck watches until Bryce yanks him into his own room by the back of the shirt.

"You're such a wussball."

"I kissed her!"

"On the cheek! I thought Casey said you guys worked with Roan Montgomery, didn't he teach you anything?"

Chuck slumps his shoulders as he watches Bryce root around in his duffel bag. "I'm not that guy, Bryce."

"Wah, wah, wah," Bryce mocks. "'I love Sarah but I'm such a nerd and she's so hot and a spy and I'm-' My god, Chuck, just go for it already."

"It's not that-"

"It is that simple!" Bryce finishes. "I've been here a month and I'm tired of watching the Chuck and Sarah Have Feelings For Each Other and Don't Do Anything About It For No Good Reason show!"

Chuck catches the t-shirt Bryce throws at him. "So what you're saying is, I should hurry up and make a move on Sarah, because watching me not make a move is annoying you?"

"Yep!"

"I hate you!"

"Mmm. Tables turning again."

"I hate you and I wanna nap!" Chuck whines, slumping down onto the bed.

"No," Bryce evenly. "No naps. Change your shirt, get on your feet, we'll grab some coffee on the way to Castle."

Chuck pouts, but changes his shirt.