"Sir?" Chuck's head appeared from the door of Inspector Yagami's office. Light Yagami was talking to someone on the phone when he noticed his detective standing like an idiot by his door. Waving his hand that is currently supporting the phone by his ear, he signaled him to take a seat in front of him. Chuck fumbled inside and situated himself in front of the Inspector who has turned in his swivel chair in an attempt to hold a private conversation. Trying to give the Inspector some privacy, Chuck allowed his eyes to wander around the office as he whistled a tune to himself.
"Yes, ma'am. I understand. I will have my best men on this case. I don't think Mr. Fluffykins ran away." Chuck snickered and Yagami glared at him. The former coughed and tried to hide his smirk.
"No, ma'am. I am not laughing at you. I just had something in my throat. A matter of life or death? Yes. Definitely." Light Yagami nodded vigorously. "I will call you the second my men find Mr. Fluffykins. You're welcome, ma'am. Have a good day now." Yagami ended the call and placed it in his proper place.
"Unbelievable! A national security risk and we get calls for missing cats." Yagami took of his glasses and massaged his closed eyes when it snapped open as he regarded the man in front of him who looked like he was being choked. "Out with it, Bartowski."
Chuck had a deer in the headlights look and immediately coughed to mask the awkward conversation. "Problems, Inspector?"
"Cats." Yagami shook his head and dug through the papers in his table until he found a Manila envelope. "Aha!"
Chuck regarded his boss curiously and ignored his temporary insanity. "Boss, what is that?"
"This, Bartowski. Is your problem." Yagami handed the folder to him.
"Uhh… What?" Chuck took the folder and looked over the files.
CIA. Agent Sarah Walker. Daniel Shaw. The Ghost. Nico Daniels. NSA. March 1, 2011.
"That… is everything we can dig up for YOUR mission. I hereby declare you, Detective Charles Bartowski, lead detective and liaison between me and the powers that be." Yagami gave Chuck a supportive smile.
Chuck looked surprised and stuttered. "Uhh… why me?"
Light Yagami shrugged. "They're the ones who set it up." He sobered up a bit a leaned forward in the table. "Chuck, I've had the pleasure of working with you for many years and I know that they have chosen the right person. I believe in you, son." He stood up and patted Chuck's shoulder as he strode towards the door. "Now, chop chop."
Chuck flustered and blushed. "Thank you, sir. I'm honored. I will make you proud." He stood up and walked towards the door held open by Yagami. He raised the folder and turned to wave goodbye when he stood in front of a closed door. He retreated his arm and hit the folder against his face.
"Perfect. Just perfect. The world is full of rainbows and butterflies." He groaned.
"Killing trees, buddy?" Chuck comically slid the folder down from his face to see Bryce standing in front of him with crossed arms.
"Will kill trees, Bryce. Yagami put me in charge. And you…" He gave the folder to Bryce and pointed a finger at him. "… will be helping me."
"So… what's this about?" Bryce leafed through the folder and paused. "Are you kidding me?" Bryce gave Chuck a deadpan look. Chuck met his look with an innocent smile but relented. "That's what I thought."
~0~0~
"Her story checked out?" Jill asked in an oddly high-pitched tone while holding 2 cups of coffee.
"Funnily, guys in TV really know what they're on about." Chuck handed a $20 bill to the lady behind the counter. "Thank you." He raised his cup and gave her a smile. Chuck, Jill and Bryce were at the coffee shop across their precinct.
They proceeded to walk towards a table occupied by Bryce. Jill sat beside him and handed him his coffee. Bryce smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Guys, seriously. You're disgusting." Chuck took a sip of his coffee. "I know you're newly weds and all but you are worse now than when you were just dating." He looked at them disgustedly.
Bryce looked at Jill and spoke in a faux Italian accent. "We have a love that most people seek but never find. Such as our bitter friend, Chuck. Oh, what shame to not find love-" Bryce sighed dramatically and shook his head while Jill grinned proudly at her husband. He leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered. "- but wait, for love cometh to those who wait." He gave a small bow in acknowledgement of his wife who was clapping—amusedly.
Chuck bent his head down and muttered. "Worst. Friends. Ever."
"Cheer up, buddy. I'm sure someone will catch you when you fall." Bryce gave him a grin that he replied to with a sarcastic smile.
"Oh hey, there's Carlo. Running in our direction and bringing news that hopefully translates to: Get your asses moving." Chuck said in a monotone. "Anything to save me from the two of you."
Jill and Bryce looked up and grinned widely at a panting Carlo. "Hi, Carlo!"
Carlo bent down to catch his breath and offered a smile in return. "Hey, guys. I have a message for you from the boss. Uhm… he said, and I reiterate this to you in the most respectful way possible, to get your asses moving." He added unsurely.
Bryce barked out a laugh. "Carlo, we're not going to kill you. Stop being so serious all the time and loosen up."
Chuck finished his coffee and stood up. "Guys, stop it. Carlo's as red as a tomato." He stood up and knocked on the table— twice. "Let's go. We have bad guys to stop and a government to figure out."
"Hey, Carlo. Maybe you and Chuck can go out sometime?" Jill said, out of the blue. Carlo coughed uncomfortably.
"That's not what I meant!" Jill blushed. Bryce spit his coffee out and laughed while Chuck merely rolled his eyes and said to no one in particular.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my friends."
~0~0~
Chuck sighed in disdain as he braced himself for the upcoming confrontation. Per a magnanimous decision, it was decided that he would talk to Sarah Walker. Alone. He recalled the previous conversation with his team while he made his way towards Sarah Walker's room.
"Look, buddy. We figured out that the best way to help her and to talk to her is if you were the one who would approach her." Bryce started carefully. He sat in a chair opposite him in the table while Jill and Carlo stood behind him.
"Me? Why me?" Chuck asked, disbelieved. "Why can't Carlo do it?"
"Because Carlo doesn't know her. Besides, Carlo will freeze up the moment she blinks at him." Jill teased their teammate relentlessly knowing of his aversion to women. "And she knows you… and from what I remember, had a thing for you."
Chuck flushed involuntarily and stuttered. "Wha…. No! She does not have a thing for me." The trio looked at Chuck as he sobered up. "Besides… Ellie."
Carlo slowly said their last reason. "Chuck… that's the main reason. Maybe, by talking to her… you can get some closure with Ellie. Look, buddy. We all love Ellie." He offered the downcast man a small smile. "You can't destroy your life seeking revenge for what might be an accident. Ellie… Ellie loves you, Chuck. She loves you so much. She would never want this for you. You know that."
Chuck continued sitting with his head bent down. Ruminating the words Carlo has spoken. He knows its true. Ellie would never want that for him.
But how can you go on living when your reason for living is gone?
"Well, you have got to find a new reason for living then."
He heard Ellie's voice in his head. He remembered having this conversation with her when they were kids and their parents died.
Sorry, El. It's so soon. Tomorrow, maybe. But not now. I need to drown some more before I will be able to float.
"You know this is the only way." Bryce's unnaturally soft voice brought him out of his musings.
Sighing in defeat, he combed a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll do it. On one condition." He looked at the trio seriously and they nodded in reply. "No cameras."
"Done."
He stopped at the room in front of him and knocked before he opened the door and came face-to-face with Sarah Walker.
"Hi, Chuck. No croissants for me?" Sarah joked at him.
"Agent Walker. Take a seat. We have a lot of things to talk about." Chuck barely spared her a glance as he made his way towards the chair and sat across from her and laid the folder on the table.
Realizing that this is the warm greeting she's entitled to, Sarah made her way to the seat opposite him and opened the folder. Everything they could get from her file was there, except the redacted information. She gave him a look that said "continue".
"So I listened to your conversation with Jill." He dared her to interrupt but she gave her a shrug.
"I know. That's why I had it recorded."
"How do I know if what you're saying is true?" Chuck asked.
"Like I said, you can't. You just have to trust me." Sarah replied.
"Well, tough luck. I don't." He got up. "Tell me when you have a reason for me to believe you."
"Nice. That's nice, Chuck. Why don't you just ask me what you really want to ask? Come on. I dare you." Sarah stood up in front of him and invaded his personal bubble.
Chuck clenched his jaw and took a step back. "You cared for Ellie. I know that. She was your friend. So why didn't you save her?" He gave her a challenging look.
Sarah deflated and looked down briefly before tilting her chin up bravely. "I tried. I was outside when I saw a Fulcrum agent and I figured it out seconds before the blast. How do you think that made me feel, huh, Chuck? You think it made me feel better?" She challenged him while a lump was growing in her throat.
Chuck bit his lip in shame and willed his tears not to fall. "Ellie had nothing to do with you people. She was a bystander. She was innocent. Why did she have to pay the price?" He mumbled softly.
I'm sorry, Ellie. But he has to know.
Sarah closed her eyes briefly to swallow the guilt of breaking a promise to a friend. "That… That's where you're wrong, Chuck. Ellie… she was more than that." She swallowed the lump and took a deep breath. She looked at him straight in the eye and said.
"Chuck. Your sister was a spy."
NB: Hi. Please don't kill me. I'm sorry for the long wait but I really had nothing on my mind and my life just sucks ATM. So anyway, LittleBloodyJ rewrote my "Your Window's Knocking" chapter and I hope you check it out. It's much prettier, if I might say so myself. Please humour me and leave a review on your way out. Peace out!