Author's notes: Clara is Chuck's niece and Ellie's and Awesome's child.

Chapter 14

Peter had a lot on his mind as he dropped the still injured Neal off at June's the next evening. In the office, Neal had passed off his injuries as an accident. He spread some story about Bugsy and an antique table which no one really believed but was entertaining enough to reassure everyone that he was okay.

Neal seemed the same as always. If Peter hadn't seen him in action and hadn't see the way the other CIA agents had reacted towards him, he wouldn't have guessed that Neal was anything more than a conman and CI. Not for the first time, he wondered what Bryce Larkin was really like.

The man himself wasn't going to give him any answers but, by lunchtime, he had an alternative option. Peter called Chuck and asked him over for dinner. El was going out with Sarah, so Peter figured he could use the company.

Chuck was sitting on the step when he arrived, his head hanging over the phone in his hands. Peter instantly recognised the sounds and confirmed it when he got close. The slingshot and structures creating a familiar colourful scene. Peter had played it himself, almost getting addicted before El hired Neal to steal his phone whenever he was playing it for more than twenty minutes.

"You should aim for the support here," he said as he pointed to one of the wooden beams. "It'll all come crashing down after that."

Chuck jolted in surprise when he spoke and then tried Peter's suggestion beating the level and achieving three stars for his efforts.

"Thanks," he said, standing up. His whole body radiated nerves, from the way he wiped his hands on the legs of his pants to the way he kept glancing around.

"You coming in?" Peter questioned, pointing inside the house. Chuck shook his head.

"Sarah doesn't want me in there," he explained, "not until they leave."

"Well, too bad," Peter responded, "it's also my house and I can invite you in." He opened the door and called out, "I'm home, hon," as he walked through.

El came running out to meet him, looked miffed at his intrusion.

"No, not yet!" she said, motioning for him to go outside. "We're still here."

"Uh, do you really need the whole house for privacy?" he questioned. She nodded in response and motioned for him to leave again. "Can we sit out on the back patio?"

She relented and Peter showed Chuck round the back to the table and chairs they had sitting outside.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Chuck asked him as he watched his wife chat to El.

"No idea," Peter responded with a sigh. "I wanted to talk to you though."

"Me?" He seemed surprised. Not horrified or suspicious, just surprised. "Why?"

"I want you to tell me about Bryce Larkin. I've read the files but I want an account from someone who knew him."

Chuck seemed confused by the question but he nodded.

"I don't really know what to tell you though."

"How about I just as questions and you answer them?" Chuck nodded. "How would you describe his personality?"

"Uh," Chuck stalled as he thought. "I guess I would say that he's determined and single-minded but flexible. He likes challenging what people think he should be like. And he doesn't think about how his actions might affect others." He frowned as he said that last part, as if he was remembering something unpleasant.

Peter thought about this for a moment. Sure, most of those could apply to Neal but, it was like some forms of fortune telling. Someone tells you it and you can see it because you either see yourself that way but mostly because you can think of a situation or time where it would apply.

"What about jumping into that situation last night?" Peter asked, "is that something you could see Bryce doing?"

"Yes," Chuck responded instantly, "and he likes to go off and do his own thing a lot. I doubt Sarah sees it because Bryce put a lot of effort into being the 'perfect spy' but he does have his flaws. I can't compete to him when it comes to romance though."

It still sounded like Neal! Peter felt slightly frustrated as he tried to come up with a question that would break the illusion.

"Could you see him stealing something?" Wait, he stole the Intersect, didn't he? "Uh, or maybe, does he like guns?"

Chuck finally gave him a suspicious look, even if it was mixed with confusion. A lot of confusion.

"I don't get why you're asking?"

Peter sighed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He didn't even know why he was asking! He just wanted to find some kind of fatal flaw in Bryce's Caffrey disguise, something that would prove he wasn't all he pretended to be.

Something that would remind him to keep on his toes around the other agent.

Sarah and El went to a family run restaurant that El knew about because she was friends with the owners. They sat down at the booth and ordered their food before El brought up the big issue.

"So, you didn't tell him?" It was a rhetorical question. Back at the house, Sarah mentioned that she hadn't and she had dodged the issue during El's phone call.

She shook her head in response anyway and didn't provide any more information. The more she thought, the more she thought that this subject should just be left alone.

El didn't share the same believe.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do. We're going to have a nice dinner out as friends and then we're going to go and talk with Chuck. I'll be there and Peter will be there to back you up." El's tone left no room for arguments.

While Chuck could cook, they ended up ordering pizza. Peter made up something about how it was like having a dinner out without going out and that it was nicer with the TV and beer. Part of it was because he really shouldn't have been eating pizza.

They talked about anything other than Neal Caffrey, Peter stalling whenever the name came up or was going to come up. He found himself talking about some of the criminals he chased but ended up retelling some of the things Neal had done while he was chasing him. After he realised that, he stopped talking about work and changed the subject to sport.

Which Chuck had little to no knowledge of so Peter decided to explain professional baseball to him.

That's how they spent their time until their wives came walking through the door. El pulled off her shoes the moment she passed the threshold while Sarah remained looking the same as she did when she left.

Chuck and Peter rose to greet them when El told them to sit back down. They shared a baffled look.

"What's going on?" Peter asked when Chuck didn't.

"Sarah has something she wants to say," El said, sitting down next to Peter and taking her husband's hand.

Chuck's face went pale and he swallowed. The poor guy looked like he was about to pass out. Sarah saw it and El had to get up and take her hand and guide Sarah to the couch next to her so she wouldn't decide to leave.

"Alright, um-" she stalled.

"I thought we went over-" Peter started to say because; he had already tried to teach her what happened if you didn't talk to the people around her. Others would take advantage of that.

But, El nudged him to be quiet and let her speak.

"Chuck, Sarah has something she wants to talk to you about," she started. Chuck briefly glanced at her as she spoke before turning back to Sarah.

Sarah didn't speak. El nudged her but she still didn't say anything.

"Sarah?" Chuck questioned in a worried voice.

"I'm not ready for kids," she said quickly, her body language stiff. Chuck almost jolted at the words.

"Uh, what?" he questioned, the colour returning to his face.

"She's not ready for kids," El repeated, "she found the picture you drew of her, you and a baby. She realised that she's not ready."

"Because of everything that's happened over the last few months," Sarah added, trying to justify it.

"Oh," Chuck stated, trying to process this. He didn't seem angry but, for once, he wasn't easily readable either. "I didn't expect you to be, um, and it's not like we're trying. We haven't even engaged in baby-making activit- oh." Realisation hit; his eyes widened and his mouth opened and shut without making a noise. "And that's why. Oh, Sarah, I'm sorry, I didn't notice!"

He stood up and it looked like he was about to hug her but, he changed his mind at the last moment and placed his hands on her upper arms.

"I don't want a baby just yet either," he said, "I'd like a little me or you running around one day but, that's up to you. It's always been up to you."

"Really? What about your mother, wouldn't she like another grandchild?"

"She has Clara," Chuck responded with certainty, "and she can wait. You're not the only one still trying to adjust to having a family."

Sarah smiled a small but happy smile just for Chuck.

"See?" El said, smiling as well. "Talking helps."

Peter opened his mouth to say what he thought might also help, a plan involving a lost room key, a hired couple and a very public argument, but El pre-empted him and shook her head as a warning. He huffed and decided to save his plan for another day.