The Colonel's Daughter

Well, thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. This chapter I focused more on Morgan, Casey, and Alex so I hope you guys enjoy this latest installment. It pretty much gets more in depth with Casey as he struggles to figure out, in a sense, his own identity.

Again, if you enjoyed reading my stories and left a comment please leave a comment for this this one as well. Tell me what you think and I hope you enjoy the read.

I don't own Chuck but I've been enjoying watching the season 3 DVD over again.

What Are The Odds?

XXX

Whiz Kid Systems, Inc.
1:50 p.m.
Monday, April 8th, 2010

Chuck stands in front of the conference room with a smile on his face as he scans around the room amongst his employees to see not only familiar faces but new faces as well. Trip Barclay, a now 20 year old intern Kesandra Torres, Cooper Lawson, Auggie Carson, Caitlyn Andrews, Drew Eggleston, and a now dry Morgan Grimes make up the veteran staff while the rest are new fresh faced employees.

He knows that without his staff backing him up and working hard to get Zork out to the stores and into the public's hands, they wouldn't be where they are now. "I know I've said this plenty of times before but you all have done an exceptional job." Chuck proudly said. "I can't thank you enough for all your hard work you all put into this." he said.

"We got your back boss." grinned Trip from across the room. The entire room acknowledges the same sentiment towards their leader with smiles, hand claps, head nods, the two handed finger point, and the celebratory whistle.

The response he gets from his employees takes him back a bit but quickly gathers himself and settles his crew down in order to bring something up. "Okay, how many times have I said not to call me boss, sir, or even Mr. Bartowksi?" he responded looking around the room.

"Beverly calls you Mr. Bartowski." Morgan quickly replied.

"That's different…" he responded back. "…she's my secretary and besides Bev told me she will only refer to me by that name. Anything other than that is considered to her unprofessional."

"What do you want to be called then?" asked Chuck's sprightly intern Kes sitting to his right.

The lanky business owner pursed his lips to the side as he takes a moment to think about it. "Good question." he said responding to Kes. "Well…" replies Chuck nodding his head "…we've already established that Captain is out the question agreed?" he added scanning the room.

The sound of low, painful groans is heard from the veteran staff while the newbies exude looks of confusion whereas Morgan sinks down in his seat a bit after the unfortunate fire drill incident last year. He would be stripped of his unofficial title as second in command of the ship that is Whiz Kid Systems, Inc. It's at this point Chuck's marketing department consisting of Caitlyn Andrews and Drew Eggleston simultaneously raise their hands.

As his attention is directed towards the two of them, he can't help be impressed by their diligence in going out and promoting Zork while Kes and Coop worked on the advertising side of things. They printed up banners, magazine print ads, business cards, letterheads, etc. along with many other materials for the dynamic duo to get not only the public interested but possibly potential business associates as well.

"Cat…Eggs…" he nodded acknowledging the two of them. "…you got a suggestion?" wondered the Whiz Kids Systems, Inc. leader.

As Chuck stands their briefly watching the humorous interaction between the two as Eggs let's his female marketing teammate Cat speak first. "How about Hannibal?"

"Which Hannibal?" questioned Eggs. Cat turns her attention to her left to Eggs who is sitting across the table from her. "The leader of the A-Team or the sadistic killer who eats his victims livers with fava beans and a nice Chianti." he asked making a reverse hissing sound. The sound causes a chuckle amongst not only the staff but Chuck as well.

Cat just shakes his head as he gives her teammate "you're a dork look" and then turns her attention back to Chuck. "Neither. The Hannibal I'm referring to is the military general who led an entire army with war-elephants corps over the alps to invade Italia." she stated.

I'm impressed Chuck thinks to himself concerning her knowledge of history. "It's a possibility. Thinking outside the box." he said nodding his towards her and then around the room. Chuck looks at the clock hanging on the wall on the other side of the room and decides its time to get back to work. "Listen, keep thinking about suggestions and before I forget I would to thank Trip, Morgan, and Auggie for their tireless efforts into making Zork a reality." he said clapping his hands acknowledging their efforts. The 3 men humbly acknowledge their part in it as their fellow staff members applaud them. "Okay then, let's get back to work."

The staff get up and slowly shuffle their way out of the conference room with Chuck giving each of his employees a pat on the back as they leave. As Morgan approaches, he gets his attention by motioning for him to hang back for a sec so he can talk to him. After everybody has left the conference room, Chuck gets the chance to talk with his little bearded best friend to see how he's been holding up.

"You doing okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." Morgan quickly retorted. "I'm doing fine."

Chuck notices something different about him and then takes a step back eying him up and down. "Did you change clothes during your lunch break?"

Morgan briefly looks down and then acknowledges his change of attire inevitably giving his explanation to his best friend. "I went to The Grove just to walk around and clear my head." he replied. "I ran into a woman or she ran into me…" He pauses for a moment and then just waves it off. "…anyways long story short she spilled her hot drink on me."

"Ouch." responded a wincing Chuck. The past 2 days have most definitely not being going well for Morgan and now to have a hot drink spilled on him isn't helping his moral any. Yet, from looking at him he seems to be in good spirits. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah dude. The woman who bumped into me offered to buy me coffee tomorrow to make it up to me." he replied. "You know same bat time same battle channel." said Morgan with a grin.

"Morgan…"

The little bearded man quickly interjects. "I know what you're thinking Chuck. I just got dumped and I might perceive something that isn't really there with this girl." he said. "I get it and trust me I've been down that road before my friend." added Morgan. "It's just coffee."

"Just looking out for you man." he said reaching over tapping Morgan's shoulder with the side of his fist.

"I know." he responded with a reassuring smile. "Thanks for being concerned about me. I appreciate it."

"Always dude." said Chuck smiling back. As Chuck opens the door to let him out of the conference he asks him one more question before leaving. "By the way, what is the girl's name?"

"Alex." he responds turning to face him as he stands in the doorway.

Chuck nods and then watches him turn left walking down the hallway. As he stands there at the doorway he has a momentary thought pop into his mind concerning the name of the girl. He thinks about it then tosses it aside. "Nah…" he quietly muttered under his breathe. "…what are the odds?" he says shutting off the lights and heads back to his office.

XXX

USC Commons
3:15 p.m.
Monday, April 8th, 2010

Alex sits at a table with 2 of her friends surrounded by her fellow students who are coming and going within the facility. All three have their text books and they are either studying for their respective classes or doing homework while having typical conversations young women in their early to mid 20's. As she sits there taking a swig of her bottled water she's reflects back on the unfortunate situation where she met Morgan.

It started off like any normal Monday. She would leaving her small apartment off campus and headed straight to her first 2 hour Criminology class at 9 a.m.. Despite it being a Monday she would be totally enthralled on the subject, especially when its being taught by a former member of the secret service now retired who protected past Presidents. He taught her the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society.

For a certain number of people they would fall asleep listening to the research in the area of study that include the incidence, forms, causes, and consequences of crime, as well as social and governmental regulations and reactions to the crime but not her. Alex would always be absolutely enthralled in the subject and take well-detailed notes that would help in her research in order to present her carefully thought out thesis.

Once that particular class was over she had a 4 hour break in between to head to the Campus Grill for lunch. Unfortunately, there was not only a long line forming out the door, but it looked to be packed. She didn't want to deal with standing in line for who knows how long and decided to get in her car to drive to The Grove to have lunch. For her, the where was a given but the what when it came to eat was a bit tough for her decide.

There were so many choices to choose for her dining pleasure from American Girl Café, The Cheesecake Factory, Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, Wetzel's Pretzels, Surf City Queen, The Whisper Restaurant and Lounge, or the Barnes & Noble Café. She decided for a quick bite to eat at The Whisper Restaurant and Lounge. She enjoyed the meal, left a tip for her server, and then left to go back to home a short nap before returning to campus for her next class.

However, when she approached Starbucks she couldn't help but step in and luckily there was a short line. She stood behind the man wearing a Bluetooth in his ear, dressed in a business suit sporting expensive looking shoes on his feet. As she was standing in line, she could clearly hear the conversation he was having with the person on the other end of line that concerned something about trading stocks and bonds or whatever it was.

As she stood in line she would send and receive text messages from her friends, people watch for a bit, and eaves drop on conversations that were going on within the establishment. After getting her drink, she turned around to leave but when she did she immediately knew it would be a tough task indeed to get out evident by the long line right behind the rather large individual. In that moment, it would certainly be difficult to maneuver her way out knowing said large man is blocking the doorway.

It was a tight squeeze but she was able to make it out after she lunged forward. However, it became a good news bad-news situation where she was able to make it out but at the same time she found herself completely off balance. That's when she spilled her hot Chai Tea Latte all over him. The second it happened she saw the pain the man named Morgan was in as his shirt and left arm not only were soaking in it, but would inevitably smell of it.

She remembers feeling so baldy as Morgan stood there shaking his head with a forced smile on his face knowing he wanted to say something at that particular moment but he stopped himself from doing so. Alex knows from working in Pie Shack that when a drink or even food is accidentally spilled on a customer they would curse up a storm, which she has not only witnessed but experienced herself when she first started working there as a rookie waitress.

However, Morgan was different and surprisingly sweet about the whole thing leading her to do the only honorable thing, which was to meet for a cup of coffee on her tab. She smiled when he agreed and after exchanging numbers they both went their separate ways only to meet the following day at not only the same place, but around the same time. Alex's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she suddenly gets a text message.

She picks it up to see Morgan's name on the small screen. A hint of a grin appears on her face as she reads the following message from him: See you tomorrow. I'll bring a small towel just in case ; ) Her attention is suddenly broken by one of her friends sitting across from her. "Why are you smiling Alex?" questioned the young woman with curiosity. Alex looks up hearing another question she considers nosy. "It's a guy isn't it?"

"It's nothing Justine." she replied. "I accidentally spilled my tea on him earlier today at The Grove. I offered to buy him coffee to make it up to him." she nonchalantly said.

"Uh huh." Justine responded grinning over to her other friend who giggle a bit.

"You two stop…" said Alex pointing at the two of the them. "…it's just a cup of coffee to make up for burning him with my hot Chai Tea Latte." she added. "Nothing serious." As she says that, she takes once last look at the message Morgan sent. She then closes her phone setting it in front of her off to the side.

XXX

J & J Bonsai Emporium
5:15 p.m.
Monday, April 8th, 2010

Casey found his niche in being a proprietor of reasonable priced bonsai trees in different sizes for inside or outside the home. True, he was a master at selling Beastmaster Grills at Buy More but when it came to selling bonsai trees it gave him a sense of calm unlike his last cover job where he was surrounded by incompetent idiots and morons. The two of them being named Jeff and Lester.

After ringing up a customer, his attention is suddenly focused on a man in his mid to late 20's. To his keenly spy trained eye, he doesn't seem to pose any threat whatsoever but that is not the reason he focused on him. His focus on the man leads him to gaze down to the young girl with dark blond hair standing on the other side of him holding his right hand. She turns to look up at his father with the biggest smile she could give.

The NSA Agent watches as the father picks up his little girl and raises her up over his head in the Superman position. He clearly hears an audible high pitched laugh coming from her and then is engulfed in her father's arms. The two exchange butterfly kisses leading the young daughter to grab her father's face on both sides in order to attempt to smoosh his cheeks together.

It's at that point, the seasoned veteran agent witnesses the father safely adjust her up and places her over his shoulders to the point where she's sitting on the back on his neck with her legs dangling in front. The young daughter wraps her arms around her father's head as he has a firm grip on both her ankles to make sure she doesn't fall back. As he watches this father-daughter moment play out, he feels a mixture of emotions.

Since finding out he has a daughter, he has been going through a mixture of disbelief and anger. The disbelief that he has a daughter and to find out in absolute surprising way as she literally walked into his life checking on the well being of her mother. He remembers as she turned to look towards the 3 of them he could clearly see that she looks more like her mother but has distinct attributes when it came to him.

Sarah is right he thinks to himself. She is a beautiful young woman who deserves to know that her father is indeed alive but he chose the greater good so that he could protect people like Alex and her mother from such people as Keller. The Ring made it personal to him when they went after the two of them and he vowed to keep a watchful eye more on his daughter than Kathleen because she is more out in the open.

As far as the feeling of anger it was directed at the fact he never got the chance to see her being born, watch her first steps, and practically grow up to be the young, beautiful woman she is today. All the things that a father would experience with a daughter he felt have been lost if he hadn't joined Keller's team. Unfortunately, he couldn't go back into the past and stop himself from making the wrong choice.

The question is would he be like the father he sees standing several feet away from him holding his daughter making her laugh and sitting on his shoulders? He couldn't answer that because the fact of the matter is he wouldn't know what to do because he is so used to not being gentle and breaking things that its all he has ever known. In his mind, Casey does think he will ever be the type of father her daughter will be proud of.

Casey shakes his head at the thought of all the things he has done in the past all for the greater good and though it had to be done he wasn't proud of it. Earlier in his career it was difficult for him to look in the mirror but as time past on he had no problem looking at the man he had become, which was a cold school killer. For him, he has to live with the burden of being just her protector nothing more nothing less.

His thoughts are suddenly interrupted as he feels a hand placed on his left shoulder. When he glances behind him to see that its Jayne who knows of Casey's situation and saw the turmoil in his eyes watching the father-daughter moment. "Maybe Sarah is right." she stated. "You have to have closure with your daughter."

He responds by simply shaking his head in disagreement. "It's not yours, Walker's, anyone else's choice to make. The odds of me telling her I'm her father are slim to none." he softly said. "It's my choice and I choose not to tell her for her own safety. " he stated turning around to face her. "I need you to understand that."

"I do." she said leaning in to give him a kiss.

"Thank you." responded Casey walking off as he takes one last look at the father playing with his daughter.

XXX

The Grove - Starbucks
12:25 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9th, 2010

A myriad of thoughts run through Morgan's mind as he makes his way towards Starbucks. For one thing he didn't know the exact time they were going to meet so he just showed up around the time the incident between the two of them happened. The other thing is, he wasn't joking when he texted her that he's bringing a small towel just in case something happens. Hey, better safer than sorry he thinks to himself.

As he maneuvers his way through the sea of people, he inevitably sees Alex standing in front of Starbucks with her back pack slung over her right shoulder. The little bearded man gives a quick wave to her as she spots him approaching from her right. A few moments later, Morgan stands in front of her and a proper introduction happens between the two of them.

"You weren't kidding about the towel." she said with a hint of laughter as he walks up.

"Yeah…" answered Morgan holding it up. "…just taking precautionary measures. I also have my best friend's sister on speed dial since she is a doctor." he joking replied.

Alex could only laugh at what he said. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." she said shaking her head.

"No problem." he responded. "I would have worn a hazmat suit but that would have just been overkill." he said with a straight face. Morgan could tell he is making a good first impression on her because under normal circumstances he usually makes a fool of himself but he hasn't with her. Yet, he knows it's just a cup of coffee to make up for spilling her hot tea on him and besides she wouldn't be interested in him.

"You ready to go in and get some coffee?"

"As long as you're still paying." he replied as they both walk into the building with him letting her in first.

After a few minutes, the two of them walk out and find a nice comfortable spot to sit down. They start chatting about the unfortunate situation that happened yesterday and how bad she felt for spilling her hot tea on him. She also added that she was surprised he didn't verbally lash out at her and making a scene in front of practically everybody who witnessed it.

"Hey, it was a mistake…" he replied. "…and mistakes happen. I didn't lash out because I didn't want to take out my unfortunate string of bad luck on you." added Morgan.

A questionable look appears on Alex's face as she wonders what he is talking about. Her curiosity gets the better of her and asks him what he meant by that. "What sort of bad luck are you talking about Morgan?"

Morgan quickly shakes his head and tries to change the subject. "It's nothing…"

Alex immediately interjected. "Come on." she firmly stated. "Tell me or I'll have you pay for coffee next time so you have no choice but to tell me."

Her response causes his eyebrow to rise up as he leans back a bit. "Next time?" questioned Morgan. "I thought this was just a one time thing and then we go are separate ways?" he said.

"I changed my mind." she stated. "Women have the right to do that you know." she said with a smile on her face.

"So, it's like that." responded Morgan with a grin.

"Yeah…" said Alex leaning in. "…its like that."

There is a brief moment of silence between the two as they hold the cup of coffee in their hands as they glance at each other with a hint of grin on both their faces. The silence is suddenly broken when Morgan turns to face her. "All right. I'll pay for coffee next time…"

"And tell me about your unfortunate string of back luck?" quickly stated Alex.

"That too." he hesitantly said with a nod. "Same time, same place?"

"Same place but different time." she said. "What time do you get off work at Whiz Kid Systems, Inc.?" Alex asks.

"6 p.m." stated Morgan.

"Perfect." she replied. "My class is done at 5:30 p.m. and I'll meet you here so we can grab something to eat while we're at it."

"Coffee and dinner?" he responded. "You planned this from the start didn't you." Morgan jokingly said.

"So how about it?" she asked expressing a wry smile towards him.

"Deal." he begrudgingly stated.

"It's a date then…" she blurted out but quickly realizes what she just said. "…sorry." softly added Alex with a bit of embarrassment on her part.

"Don't worry about it." he said with a smile on his face as he takes a sip of his coffee.

XXX