Chuck vs. The Courtyard Bench
Well, in the previous chapter: The Board of Directors informed Sarah to focus on a patient who was not only a hypochondriac but was considered a financial benefit to the hospital. Of course, Sarah wasn't really too keen on dropping her responsibilities in order to appease the powers that be. In any case, she begrudgingly complied and fortunately for her, Casey and Heather were there by her side. When the hypochondriac named Jean-Claude arrived, he wanted to know who Heather was thinking he was his nurse. After some quick thinking by Sarah, she informed Jean-Claude she doing research concerning the doctor-patient relationship and the challenges that have been experienced. It certainly tested Sarah's patience and that paralleled with how Chuck's patience's was tested when it came to Pollak. It wasn't just his patience that was tested, as it was Morgan and Kathleen's. It involved Pollak asking a question to a potential sponsor for Chuck's business that he was able to lock in. Moving on, the trio were given the 411 on the new Rockster Rebel, Jagger Renner. They learned that Jagger enjoyed the song Out There from the Disney animated movie, Hunchback of Notre Dame. He enjoyed it mainly because he was an artist and one of movies he used as a drawing reference was Hunchback. Chuck used that information and vowed once again use the power of social media to get word out to the actor Tom Hulce to Bash At The Bench. What Chuck, Morgan, and Kathleen didn't expect was that Pollak knew Hulce. He worked with him in a past project and offered to call him. So, what happens in this chapter? Here are the who, what, where, when, why, how's? Who and which does Chuck use as the opening performance for Bash At The Bench? What does Chuck call Kathleen after he corrected White when she referred to her as something that the nerd saw her as? Where does Morgan's comparison of Kathleen lead to that involved an iconic 80's sitcom character? When does Jagger learn that a certain organization may be watching after Chuck shares not only how talented he is but his artwork as well. Why does Pollak suddenly unsure of what to when he experiences something that he didn't expect. How does Bash At the Bench end? Read and find out! I hope you enjoy the read and leave a comment to share your own thoughts on this particular chapters. As always, reviews are awesome.
Again, if you enjoyed reading my stories and left a comment, I truly appreciate it. Please continue to do so as it gives me the incentive to write more chapters.
I don't own Chuck.
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
XXX
"WHAT'S UP BARTOWSKI BRIIIGGGGAADDEEE!" Chuck enthusiastically announced, addressing the online and courtyard audience. Speaking of the courtyard audience, they delivered and responded loudly, making their presence known. "It's Friday, so we all know what that means! It's…" The nerdy host pointed the mic attached to the mic stand toward the courtyard crowd.
"BASH AT THE BENCH!"
Afterwards, the crowd erupted in celebration, then eventually subsided when Chuck motioned for them to settle down. Among those within the crowd were Chief Beckman, Ellie, Devon, Sarah, Casey, Big Mike, and White. Each of them standing behind a barrier where Morgan was located, as he was standing on stage at the usual spot behind the camera. As for Morgan, he zoomed in on Chuck who addressed the crowd once again.
"Let's get this show started!" he grinned, rocking back and forth as gripped the mic/mic stand. Afterwards, he briefly glanced behind him then signaled Jeff and Lester to start playing their instruments. Chuck briefly closed his eyes and took a moment to prepare himself. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and shared the song that he was about to perform. "This song is by Gavin Degraw," he shared. "It's called 'Soldier'."
La da da da da
La da da da da
La da da da da da
Da da da da da da da da
Where did all the people go?
They got scared when the lights went low.
I'll get you through it nice and slow,
When the world's spinning out of control.
Afraid of what they might lose
Might get scraped or they might get bruised.
You could beg them, what's the use?
That's why it's called a moment of truth
After the small break in the song, Chuck took a brief moment because he truly felt something meaningful behind the last 7 words of the 2nd set of lyrics, especially when it involved showing how much heart people have. It's the truthfulness in a person's heart that shined forth and broke through the grim darkness of reality that was oftentimes needed in the world today, the nerd thought to himself. Of course, the truthfulness that shined forth and broke through the grim darkness of reality, otherwise known as cancer, went by the name Jagger Renner. A young kid who had every right to be scared and complain about the pain he had experienced, but he endured it like an absolute champ. It was that thought in which he cracked a smile as he continued on with the next set of lyrics to the song.
I'll get it if you need it,
I'll search if you don't see it,
You're thirsty, I'll be rain,
You get hurt, I'll take your pain.
I know you don't believe it,
But I said it and I still mean it,
When you heard what I told you,
When you get worried I'll be your soldier.
In Chuck's mind, although Jagger didn't see himself as a cape-wearing superhero like Superman or Batman, he had exuded the qualities of one. Despite his teenage status, the young man grew up in every sense of the word and connected deeply with himself, unlike most teenagers who have cared more about what's trending music or fashion wise. A consummate soldier, he thought to himself. In any case, one of those heroic attributes was bravery in the face of adversity. In other words, tapping into that raw, courageously resilient, inner strength in the face of uncertainty filled with pain, grief, anger, frustration, disappointment, etc.
As much as the 13-year-old had been a beacon of strength for his parents, Jagger became a shining example of what a role model should be, especially for his two younger siblings. Chuck recalled talking with him and he shared how he always tried to lead by example as a big brother should, which wasis what his parents taught him. Unfortunately, he'd failed a few times trying to set that example and hadn't used the pain of his cancer as an excuse. True, it's what most teenagers would certainly do if they were in his position with a cancerous lump partly attached to their spine, but Jagger wasn't like most teenagers.
Ultimately, Jagger owned up to his mistakes, learned from them, shared that knowledge with his two younger siblings, and continued moving forward like a determined soldier. Chuck's respect and admiration for the kid doubled after he heard that. It's that same respect and admiration for Jagger he continued to convey vocally with the 3rd set of lyrics to the song.
Funny when times get hard,
At the last moment when you're supposed to charge,
Always on the longest yard,
Oh, they feel their feet getting cold.
Hiding here, hiding there,
Find them underneath the stairs,
People hiding everywhere,
Trying to be still like a stone.
During the momentary pause in the song, Chuck stood there and faintly grinned. The reason he did it was because he couldn't help but think that when he and Morgan started their YouTube show 8 years ago, they never in their wildest dreams would have ever imagined how big and how far the journey had taken them. A journey where the positive, rather than the negative, side of humanity was shown in huge waves and donated from the bottom of their heart. For the nerdy host, humanity could at times be cold and uncaring, but at the same time full of surprises to the point where they came together for one unified purpose, he thought to himself.
What was that unified purpose? Humanity didn't hide or act as if they we're a stone that was just sitting there unwilling to move and financially donate. How do you change that? Simple. Challenge them, step back, and see if they'll accept the challenge. When the challenge has been accepted the financial results have been mind bogglingly astounding as to the staggering amount that has been given when it was all said and done. For the youngest Bartowski sibling, his unwavering belief of being able to find a light of glimmering hope despite living within a seemingly grimly darkened world, showed he hadn't given up entirely on the immense strength of the collective human spirit.
It's like one humongous Dragon Ball Z spirit bomb, he thought to himself. A spirit bomb that started in 2003 and had been steadily growing larger ever since. At that particular moment, he couldn't help but be amused at the thought of himself as Goku as he asked the Nerd Herd/Bartowski Brigade to send him their energy representing donations. Chuck nearly laughed out loud into the mic as he imagined Morgan as Krillin, but quickly gathered his composure before he did. If he had continued imagining other people in his life as Dragon Ball Z characters, the opening performance would be absolutely ruined because he got mentally lost. After he took a much-needed deep breath, Chuck resumed on with his vocal performance.
I'll get it if you need it,
I'll search if you can't see it,
You're thirsty, I'll be rain,
You get hurt, I'll take your pain.
I know you don't believe it,
But I said it and I still mean it,
When you heard what I told you,
When you get worried I'll be your soldier.
My aim is so true,
I wanna show you,
I'll try forever,
I'm never gonna say "surrender".
I'll get it if you need it,
I'll search if you can't see it,
You're thirsty, I'll be rain,
You get hurt, I'll take your pain.
I know you don't believe it,
But I said it and I still mean it,
When you heard what I told you,
When you get worried I'll be your soldier.
The one thing Chuck was certain about Jagger was that he wasn't the type of kid who gave up and surrendered to the pain. Far from it. He recalled another conversation they with him and how it concerned the young man's aim to simply stand up straight, which sounded considerably reasonable considering the circumstances he was under. His thoughts concerning Jagger's aim being achieved sooner than later were set aside as he reached the moment at the end of song where he motioned for the audience to participate by pointing the mic towards them.
Na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na (I'll be your soldier)
Na na na na na na na na (Well, I'll be)
Oh, I'll be your soldier (Na na na na na na na)
Na na na na na na na na (La da da la da da da)
Na na na na na na na na (I'll be your soldier)
Na na na na na na na na
La da da da da
La da da da da
La da da da da da
La da da da da da da
After going back and forth, Jeffster stopped playing their musical instruments. This allowed Chuck and the courtyard audience to simultaneously go acapella on the last line of the song. The performance ended with the sound of the crowd echoing the last 'da' that resonated all around the courtyard then slowly dissipated into silence. A few seconds later, the courtyard erupted in celebrated cheers, applauses, whistles, dog pound barks, etc. As this was happening, Chuck stood center stage and acknowledged the crowd before he turned back, giving Jeffster their props for doing awesome for their part in the musical performance.
XXX
"That was awesome, Chuckles." smiled Devon, pointing to his brother-in-law. The two men then exchanged fist bumps, which led Sarah to speak up.
"What Devon said."
Sarah agreed with her soon-to-be brother-in-law and then lifted up a bit on her heels to kiss him on the cheek. Afterwards, she handed over a medium-sized towel to wipe his face after his performance on stage. Chuck expressed his trademark toothy smile and thankful gratitude towards his nerdy girlfriend. He gave a nod to Devon then spoke up.
"Is our special guest here yet?" he wondered, wiping down his sweaty face with a towel. His attention was then directed toward Casey who pressed a button on his communication device. At that point, all eyes were on the hospital's hulking Head of Security as he spoke up.
"Tang." Casey grunted.
After a few seconds of silence, a voice was heard. "Tang here, Colonel"
"Status on special delivery?"
There was another few seconds of silence before Tang's voice was heard once again. "Special delivery has arrived."
Chuck breathed out a sense of nervous relief afterward, after he heard that. It led Beckman to speak up. "Big Mike," she firmly uttered, giving a nod.
"Yes ma'am," Big Mike acknowledged, stepped back and then shuffled off.
There was a momentary silence before Morgan broke it by speaking up. "I still can't believe Pollak was able to pull this off." He shook his head as he kneeled down by the edge of the camera stage while everybody else stood at ground level. "Don't get me wrong, he's still an idiotic douche." His attention was then directed to White. "No offense."
White stood there with her arms crossed. Her eyes were covered by her expensive shades, so trying to get a good read on what she was thinking didn't help matters any. As for her body language, it always read as if she was either constantly pissed or completely fed up, which was actually normal for her, according to Mark. Beast mode was what her assistant referred to it as.
"None taken. I agree actually," nodded White. Her attention was directed to Chuck. "And like I said before, as far as I'm concerned whatever happened between you and the idiotic douche is between the two of you. He should have known better," she added, shaking her head.
There was an overall sense of relief with not only Chuck, but Sarah as well, when it came to the nerdy couple worries and concerns. Their attention was directed back to her when she spoke up again. "Honestly, I wish I was there when he got his ass chewed out by your secretary." Afterwards, White grinned with amusement.
"Front office manager," he clarified. Afterwards, Chuck flipped the medium- sized towel over his right shoulder and let it rest there for the time being.
"What?" White slightly tilted her head to the right, after she said that.
Although Chuck couldn't see White's eyes behind her expensive looking sunglasses, she looked absolutely intimidating and scary. He was a bit hesitant to go further but forced himself to speak up.
"Kathleen is my," Chuck stopped and then corrected himself. "Our front office manager." The nerd pointed to himself, then Morgan, who was still kneeling down by the side of the camera stage. Speaking of Morgan, he gave a quick wave after being acknowledged by his hetero life partner. "We don't see her as a secretary. She's so much more than that to us and for the business she's helped keep running," he firmly conveyed.
"Chuck's right," Morgan chimed in. "We'd actually be lost without her guidance and sage wisdom. Ms. K is like…she's like," The bearded best friend of Chuck Bartowski pursed his lips together and titled his head as if he was mentally searching for a proper description of his girlfriend's awesome mother. After a few moments of tilting his head from side to side, his eyes lit up and snapped his right index finger. "Mrs. Garrett."
"Facts of Life and Different Strokes?" questioned Ellie, arching her right eyebrow. "That Mrs. Garrett?"
"The one and only," firmly nodded Morgan, with a smile. "Tootie was my favorite character. Just because," he added, shrugging his shoulders.
"Nancy McKeon as Jo was cool, " Chuck noted.
"I had the hots for Blair." shared Devon.
"Excuse me?" Ellie responded, intently eying her husband.
"What?" Devon innocently responded. "You can't blame teenage me, babe."
At that point, Sarah smoothly slid over to Ellie and spoke up with her arms crossed. "As I recall, George Clooney was a character on the series."
A smile gradually appeared on Ellie's face. "I totally forgot about that.," She took a moment with Sarah to express what sounded like a satisfied hum of pleasure, as if the both of them were imaging the now A-list actor in their head. "From what I remember, that was his first ever role."
"And still a sexy heartthrob," Ellie audibly stated, exchanging a high-five with Sarah. She then added what her husband told her. "You can't blame adult and teenage me, babe."
In that instance, Devon directed his attention to the one person he thought could give some much-needed assistance. "Bro," he pleaded towards Chuck, motioning within his hands between the two of them.
After Chuck blinked a couple times, he stared blankly at Devon. He then responded to him, "Why are you looking at me? All I can throw back at them is that Clooney nearly destroyed the Batman franchise with Batman and Robin."
"True dat!" Morgan chimed in, agreeing with his tall and lanky best friend.
"Regardless," retorted Ellie, waving off her younger brother's Batman comment. "His ass in that spandex though," she added, turning her head to face Sarah. She did the Bartowski eyebrow dance while she bit the bottom of her lip. This led to Sarah fanning herself with her right hand in an overly dramatic way. "What about you, Chief?" She turned her attention to the red- headed Chief Administrator who had been listening and observing the entire conversation.
Beckman briefly lifted and held up her right hand. "Clooney is an attractive looking man," she acknowledged. "Yet, he doesn't hold a candle to Robert Redford." Afterwards, Beckman arched her right brow and cracked a noticeable grin. Ellie and Sarah leaned back a bit as they saw a different side of their boss they've never seen before.
Speaking of Ellie and Sarah, they continued where they left off with their humorous ribbing against Devon, when they suddenly heard a familiar growl. It came from Casey, who couldn't take it anymore by showing how clearly annoyed and agitated he was, expressed on his face.
"Are you two finished or do I need to pour a bucket of cold water on the both of you?" he softly growled.
"I second that, Colonel," acknowledged White. She stood there and listened to the entirety of the conversation, which completely baffled her.
Casey expressed another grunt, then turned his attention to the bearded individual who was kneeling down on the side of the camera stage. "Hey, moron! What does Mrs. Garrett have to do with Kathleen?" Casey growled, narrowing his eyes and shooting a death glare at Morgan.
It was a look that caused Morgan to nearly fall backwards, but quickly placed his right arm/fingers down behind him, which helped steady himself. A few seconds later, he stood up leading Chuck to intervene.
"I think what Morgan was trying to say," Chuck briefly glanced at Morgan, then directed his attention to Casey. "Like the iconic character of Ms. Garrett, Kathleen personifies someone who is fair and tough. She's also stern but at the same time reasonably impartial. Understands how life can certainly be considerably difficult to maneuver and doesn't invade it. You're given the space and time to work through it. However, if you need help, she'll be there for you to provide whatever you need. That's the type of person Ms. K is."
After Chuck shared that, Casey expressed a noteworthy grunt that sounded proud and respectful of his ex-wife and the mother of their daughter.
"I've met Alex's mother," Beckman shared, joining in on the conversation. "And after spending time with her she's actually everything that Mr. Bartowski described." she added, with a confirming nod. "I hope I get the privilege of getting to know and spending more time with her."
"You do, Chief." Morgan pointed out. He noticed a perplexed confusion expressed on Beckman's face, so he motioned over with a slight nod to where all the pediatric kids and the nursing staff were located. He then focused on one specific person. "Alex."
Beckman took a moment to realize that Morgan was right. In her mind, she was privileged enough to have Kathleen and Casey's beautifully smart offspring employed in her hospital. An exceptionally hard working, energetic, fun loving, caring, and well-respected employee that enjoyed working with kids. She recalled how hard Alex took Camden's death and it reminded the auburn-haired Chief Administrator that the bonds her pediatrics nurses have made with all the kids over the years will never be broken. Essentially, it was also a testament of how truly passionately dedicated Alex had been and continued to be when it came to her job.
"I stand corrected," Beckman acknowledged Morgan then continued on. Her attention was then directed to Alex's father. "You both raised an incredible young woman."
Casey expressed a grunt that was interpreted as a thank you by everyone including Beckman. Afterwards, Beckman's attention was broken once again as she heard the sound of Morgan's voice once again.
"30 seconds Chuck!"
It led Beckman to clap her hands and directed her attention to Chuck. "Let's meet our new Rockstar Rebel, Mr. Bartowski."
"Yes ma'am." smiled Chuck. Before he headed off for his interview with Jagger over at the blue courtyard bench, the nerdy host was given a kiss for good luck by Sarah. When she stepped back, she retrieved the medium sized towel that was draped over her fiancé's right shoulder.
XXX
Chuck introduced 13-year-old Jagger Renner to not only the courtyard audience, but online audience as well. Of course, the young man of Samoan heritage didn't know what to expect. He was shy at first and visibly nervous as he reluctantly joined Chuck in front of the blue courtyard bench. His parents and younger siblings cheered him on as they stood next to Alex. In any case, when he stood next to the nerdy host after shaking hands, it was clearly noticeable that the cancerous lump on Jagger's back definitely affected his posture, which was the cause of his slouch. Yet, it wasn't a largely pronounced slouch, but rather a slight one. The young man was actually quite tall. Not as tall as Chuck who was approximately 6'3, but a few inches shorter.
The courtyard crowd learned that Jagger was 5' 9, which they quickly took notice of before he and Chuck sat down on blue courtyard bench. Afterwards, a mic was handed over to him by the nerdy host. Although he looked seemingly uncomfortable leaning forward with his elbows/forearms resting on his knees, he reassured Chuck that he felt comfortable sitting that way. Although it was awkward at first, the nerdy host adapted when it came to his interview style for his current guest rather than himself. After the initial Chuck Bartowski banter that helped ease the nervous tension that his teenage guest was experiencing beforehand, he shared with the courtyard and online audience what Jagger was dealing with at such a young age.
"At the age of 9," Chuck started off. "You were diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma. It's a type of soft tissue that appeared and gradually formed on your upper back. It not only grew to what it now looks like a pronounced lump, but a part of it has attached to your spine." he delicately shared, in a respectful and tactful way.
"That's right, Chuck," answered Jagger, into the mic given to him by the nerdy host. He leaned forward and turned his head to the right so that he was able to look Chuck in the eyes. "I'm patiently waiting for surgery whenever that is." Afterwards, the 13-year-old blew out a breath. A sound that spoke volumes to not only Chuck, but everyone who heard it as well.
"I know it's tough to wait for the surgery. I've talked with your doctor and there have been a couple times where it has been pushed back." Chuck revealed. After hearing that, the audience couldn't help but express caring sympathy towards the young man that was crowned the latest Rockstar Rebel. "How have you and your parents dealt with that news?"
Jagger was momentarily silent until he lifted the mic to his mouth. He was about to speak but then suddenly lowered it. It was as if he was going to respond but then decided not to. The young man sat there for a moment and shook his head. While he was hunched over, the young man took a deep breath before he finally raised the mic and answered Chuck's question.
"It's been frustrating," He briefly paused but pushed forward with what he was going to say. "But I try to distract myself the best way I can."
"Drawing right?"
A nod was given by Jagger. "Hey, I don't really have anywhere to be so I got time." he jokingly remarked. It caused the audience and Chuck to be tickled by the 13 year old's humorous comment.
At that point, Chuck signaled Morgan who initiated the white screens, which started to rise up all around the courtyard. It took a while for them to be fully erected, so the nerdy host did a bit of stalling.
"What do you mostly draw? Anime?"
"That and Disney characters. There's a bunch of movies in the movie library in the entertainment room."
"How good are you?"
"I do alright," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
After Jagger said that, Chuck saw that the white screens were fully erected and knew it was the right moment to show the teenager's talent to the world. "I think they're more just alright, dude." Chuck pointed to the nearest white screen where Jagger's first drawing was shown much to the teenager's shocked surprise.
As for the courtyard audience, they were thoroughly amazed. The selected drawings that were shown on screen were celebrated with oohs, ahhs, and sporadic clapping that briefly echoed within the courtyard. A total of 5 minutes went by before the images that were shown on white screens ended and then slowly lowered. Afterwards, Chuck noticed Jagger was a bit embarrassed by the loving adulation and admiration concerning his artwork, which told him how truly humble the kid was.
"I know you didn't expect that."
"Where? How?" wondered Jagger, considerably speechless.
"I had help." Chuck retorted, pointing behind the 13-year-old.
Jagger shifted over to his left and turned his head to look behind him. When he did, he saw the person Chuck referred to standing next to his parents waving at him. "Nurse Alex." He expressed an appreciative smile on his face.
"Your talented dude," stated Chuck. "With your talent have you considered becoming a comic book artist like Stan Lee or Todd McFarlane?" he added, leading down a specific line of questions.
The 13-year-old shrugged his shoulders. "Thought about it, but,"
"But what?"
"What I really want to do is work for Disney," answered Jagger. Afterwards, a faint but noticeable grin was expressed. "In their animation department."
"Well keep drawing and I'm sure they'll take notice."
"I don't know." Jagger shook his head with uncertainty.
"Hey," Chuck switched the mic over to his left hand then reached over and lightly tapped Jagger's left shoulder with the back of his right hand. "Trust me on this because you never really know who is watching." he added, raising both eyebrows.
Jagger sat there for a moment letting Chuck's words concerning the possibility of Disney could actually be watching the show. The grin turned into a growing smile, but then, his face suddenly stiffened. His jaw clinched and his eyes snapped shut. What followed was a gasp of pain that was let out by the young man.
Chuck quickly leaned forward with concern, but at the same time gave him some space. "You ok?"
It took a moment for Jagger to answer. He gritted his teeth from the lingering pain that was slowly fading away. It wasn't long before the 13-year-old let out a comforting sigh of relief.
"Shooting pains stink."
"Do they happen often?"
Jagger nodded. "It hurts more when I can feel them pressing against my spine." He took another breath but this time it was a deep one before he let it out slowly. Afterwards, he shook his head and then continued speaking. "I understand that my doctor wants to be extremely careful since part of the cancer has grown on to my spine, but still."
"Any signs that the soft tissue cancer has spread to your spine?"
Jagger shook his head. Chuck and the courtyard crowd breathed out a sigh of relief, which led everyone to clap for the diagnosis that the cancer didn't spread onto his spine.
"Awesome news." happily smiled Chuck.
"It is awesome news," nodded the 13 year old.
Chuck then noticed Jagger was about to say something else, but then lowered his mic. It was also the way the teenager hesitated before lowering his mic that caused Chuck's eyebrows to furrow a bit with curious concern.
"What's wrong?"
The teenager hesitated again before he answered. A second later, he lifted up the mic to his mouth. As he did, he leaned over and turned his head to the left to lock eyes with Chuck once again.
"I want to be happy about it, but all I can think about is what my parents are going through. My younger brother and sister are scared that they might lose me. It's hard for me to hear sometimes because as their big brother they look up to me."
"You know why, don't you?" A look of perplexed confusion was expressed on Jagger's face as he shook his head. "You're their hero."
Jagger softly chuckled in response. "I don't feel like it."
"Well, you are to them. And take it from me I have an older sister," Chuck pointed to himself then directed his attention to where Ellie was located. The Bartowski siblings locked eyes with each and then the younger Bartowski sibling continued on. "She stepped up at a time when our family was going through a terrible situation. If it wasn't for Ellie, this right here," Chuck motioned all around the courtyard. "Wouldn't exist."
The nerdy host returned his attention to Ellie who was now completely emotional with tears running down her cheeks. Sarah and Devon right there by her side not only comforting her, but consoling her as well. His attention on his older sister was broken when he heard Jagger's voice.
"You serious?"
"Dead serious." nodded Chuck, facing Jagger. "Not all heroes wear capes. Some are like you who are dealing with a rare form of soft tissue cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma. Then there's people like my sister Ellie," Afterwards, his attention on Jagger was instantly directed back to the oldest Bartowski sibling. Brother and sister locked eyes and exchanged smiles with one another.
That's when Chuck suddenly stood up and did something absolutely unexpected. Instead of saying what he wanted to say to Ellie from where he stood in front of the courtyard bench, he made his way to her. By that point, everybody in the courtyard and in the hospital emotionally lost it, which included Casey. Although tears didn't fall down his cheeks, he did reach up and wipe away tears that were forming in his eyes. As he did, a handkerchief suddenly appeared at chin level for him to use and the person who offered it to him was White. Afterwards, White continued to stand there seemingly devoid of emotion wearing those expensive looking sunglasses not letting the touching atmosphere seemingly affect her at all. That was until she tilted her head slightly to the right then down a bit. The executive producer reached up to discreetly wipe away a tear that formed behind her shades with her left pinky.
Meanwhile, Morgan followed and focused the video camera on Chuck. It took a moment for Morgan to get a lock on Chuck as he quickly maneuvered his way through the seemingly packed courtyard. When he finally did, Chuck was standing face to face with Ellie.
"El you're…" At that point, Chuck suddenly got so emotionally choked up and struggled to find the right words to say that he ended up dropping the mic, which was clearly heard by everyone. However, he didn't care as he took that moment and gathered himself before he finally uttered those two words to his older sister. "My hero." he shared, tearing up.
Those two words ultimately caused Ellie to open the emotional floodgates. Tears flowed down the side of her cheeks as she swallowed her younger brother in a hug. As the two siblings tightly embraced each other, they both whispered 'I love you' to one another. Although what was said between Chuck and Ellie weren't heard by everyone, they at least witnessed the heartfelt and touching moment between the two of them. Unfortunately, the heartfelt and touching moment between the two siblings didn't last long because Chuck suddenly realized all the attention was now on both of them. Ellie knew it too and that was when they looked at each other. What happened next was that Ellie actually pushed her younger brother off of him then emotionally pointed at her younger brother to go back and interview the newly crowned Rockstar Rebel. He complied but before he hurried back, Sarah gave him back the mic that he dropped, which she received a thankful smile from her nerd. A brief moment later, Chuck was sitting next to Jagger on the blue courtyard bench and looked as if he was apologizing to him for taking the spotlight off him while he was wiping away the tears from his face. He briefly stopped to momentarily address not only the crowd but the viewing audience with mic in hand.
"We're taking a short break, Bartowski Brigade! When we come back, there's a surprise for our newest Rockstar Rebel that he'll never forget." he announced, pointing to Jagger. The 13-year old's eyes widened after he heard the latter part of what Chuck announced. Jagger actually straightened up a bit while seated on the blue courtyard bench. "You won't want to miss it."
XXX
"Normally, I'd be standing center stage about to sing Jagger's dedication song but," Chuck stood with mic in hand in front of the blue courtyard bench while Jagger and his family sat with him. He first addressed the crowd then turned around to face the newest Rockstar Rebel and his family. "I'm not."
A hush of bewildered confusion can be heard amongst the courtyard audience as they wondered what was happening right now. They would soon learn the reason why the nerdy host wasn't going to be the one performing the dedication song. Of course, there were murmurs that Chief Walker was going to be the one singing but the crowd soon realized she wasn't when they noticed Sarah hadn't moved from where she had been standing by the camera stage.
"We have a special guest with us at Bash At The Bench,"
At that point, Chuck saw Big Mike wave over to him and then noticed two men step forward from behind him. One was Pollak and the other was the special guest performer. After the nerdy host waved and thanked Big Mike, he met the two men halfway. Chuck exchanged a handshake with the actor that was going to perform the song from the animated Disney movie. Jagger, his family, courtyard crowd and possibly even the viewing audience witnessed the brief interaction between Chuck and the unknown individual that he was speaking with. A few seconds later the youngest Bartowski sibling escorted the special guest to the blue courtyard bench with Pollak following both men.
"Jagger, I'd like you to meet Tom Hulce. Do you know who he is?" Chuck asked, as the 13-year-old stood up. Jagger shook his head. In that instance, the nerdy host revealed the significance of why the newest Rockstar Rebel was being introduced to him. "He was in the animated movie Hunchback of Notre Dame and voiced Quasimodo." he revealed, handing a spare mic over to the actor.
When Jagger heard that, his eyes widened as Tom Hulce extended his hand for a handshake with the 13-year-old.
"It's a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Jagger." greeted Hulce, with a smile. He squeezed the young man's right hand as he shook it. "I've heard so much about you." he added, releasing the teenager's right hand.
After the 13-year-old reciprocated Hulce's handshake, he expressed a quizzical look on his face. "You have?" Jagger responded, sounding surprised with a mix of absolute disbelief.
Hulce nodded and then pointed to Pollak. "My friend here contacted me and informed me about you. How you're a big fan of the song from the movie."
Jagger's mouth dropped as Chuck stood beside. The nerd waited for a response from the newest Rockstar Rebel. Speaking of the 13-year-old, he struggled to say something…anything. The only thing he mustered was that he simply nodded. Meanwhile, his family that was seated behind him were equally as shocked and surprised as they continued to watch what was unfolding before their very eyes. In any case, it took everything in Jagger's power to say something and managed to just get two words out.
"Out There."
"That's the one," Hulce nodded. "From what I hear you actually know the song."
"Yeah." he breathed out. It was the only word that Jagger stammered out because he was still left speechless by the impact of who was standing in front of him.
"Great. How about you join me on stage and we'll both perform the song together," Hulce offered, keeping his full attention on Jagger.
It took a moment before it fully sunk in for Jagger at what Hulce just asked him. After he finally blinked a couple times his momentary daze was broken, and the young man quickly responded.
"I know it word for word," he blurted out. "Even the song dialogue between Frollo and Quasimodo."
It was at that point, a wider smile grew on Hulce's face. "How about this? We both do the musical dialogue and then I'll take it from there with the song itself." he suggested.
"For real!?" Tears formed in Jagger's eyes. His parents with tears in their eyes as they watched their son experiencing a surreal moment. Fortunately for them, it was being captured on video so they would be able to watch it back later.
"So," Hulce softly grinning, considerably touched with Jagger's reaction. "Is that a ye…"
Before Hulce could even finish the word yes, Jagger cut him off and blurted out his response. "YES!" he uttered with excitement.
The young man looked as if he was jumping out of his own skin. He then suddenly leaped forward and wrapped his arms around Hulce. Another touching and heartfelt moment was witnessed within the confines of not only the courtyard and the hospital, but online as well. As Pollak stood there half engaged with what was happening an attractive brunette in the crowd caught his eye. Unfortunately, his focus on her was broken when he suddenly found himself unexpectedly hugged. The male lead for the upcoming project he would be starring in with Heather Chandler didn't know what to do at first as Jagger continued to hug him. After a few seconds, he smiled and was about to pat him on the back but stopped himself. Instead, he patted him on the back of the head with his right hand. Jagger let go soon after that happened.
In any case, as Hulce and Jagger headed towards the stage, Chuck took his place behind the courtyard bench with Pollak. Jagger's family remained seated this time as they were about to watch their 13-year-old son perform the song he knew by heart with the actor who voiced and sang it as the character Quasimodo. Speaking of Hulce, he stood center stage with Jagger as another mic/mic stand was placed on stage in front of Jagger by Lester. As the new Rockstar Rebel stood on stage next to Hulce, the young man looked visibly nervous. Fortunately, everyone including Chuck and Pollak watched as Hulce placed his left hand on Jagger's left shoulder. The actor leaned in and whispered something in the young man's ear. It lasted for a brief moment before Jagger nodded then took a deep breath.
Afterwards, Hulce motioned for him to go first since it was the character Frollo who began the musical dialogue leading everyone to be totally transfixed on the Rockstar Rebel stepping up to the mic. When he did, the background music of the animated scene of the Disney movie was heard instead of Jeffster playing their musical instruments thanks to Morgan's doing. Speaking of Jeffster, they sat back behind their musical instruments and prepared themselves for a one-of-a-kind live performance like the rest of the online, as well as courtyard audience. Afterwards, a sudden hush blanketed the entire courtyard as Jagger stepped up to the mic.
The world is cruel
The world is wicked
It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city
I am your only friend
I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you
I who look upon you without fear
How can I protect you, boy, unless you
Always stay in here
Away in here
Remember what I taught you, Quasimodo
You are deformed
The young man started singing and it was relatively subdued. The audience could tell he was nervous because of how he sounded shaky at first. However, by the middle of it, Jagger's confidence was building, and his performance turned theatrical to the point where he not only added dramatic hand gestures, but the facial expressions as well that were directed to Hulce. Jagger's performance so far not only captivated the voice behind Quasimodo, but the entire audience in the courtyard including everyone in the hospital. Of course, the actor responded at first looking rather impressed by what the young man did to the point where he went theatrical as well. Granted, he didn't intend to and just wanted to keep it simple, but he went with it following Jagger's lead.
I am deformed
And you are ugly
And I am ugly
And these are crimes
For which the world
Shows little pity
You do not comprehend
You are my one defender
Out there they'll revile you
As a monster
I am a monster
Out there they will hate
And scorn and jeer
Only a monster
Why invite their calumny
And consternation?
Stay in here
Be faithful to me
I'm faithful
Grateful to me
I'm grateful
Do as I say
Obey
And stay
In here
I'll stay
In here
After Jagger and Hulce's voice faded singing the last two lines of the first part of the performance, the silent crowd suddenly celebrated and erupted in an insanely loud mixture of cheers, applauses, dog pound barks, as well as whistles. The crowd let Jagger, more so than Hulce, know how tremendously awesome the back and forth was between the two of them once that part of the performance was over.
Once the celebration eventually died down, it was Hulce's turn to perform the next part of the song, but before he did the actor quickly grabbed a nearby stool. When he did, Hulce motioned for Jagger to take a seat and just enjoy the performance dedicated solely to him. Though he was reluctant to do so at first, the young man ended up sitting on the stool anyway as Hulce stood behind the mic/mic stand and didn't waste any time whatsoever. He jumped right in and softly started singing with the background music playing once again from the Disney animated movie provided by Morgan.
Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone
Gazing at the people down below me
All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone
Hungry for the histories they show me
All my life I memorize their faces
Knowing them as they will never know me
All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day
Not above them
But part of them
When Hulce reached the last 2 lines of the 1st part of the song he turned right and faced Jagger. He then removed the mic from the mic stand with his right hand. Afterwards, he stepped forward, stood in front of the 13-year-old, and placed his hand on the young man's left shoulder. The actor nodded at Jagger when he sang the last word and when he did, he paused for a brief moment leaving the courtyard briefly silent. It was suddenly broken when Hulce made a theatrical sweeping turn with his left arm/hand toward the courtyard and belted out the next set lyrics of the song.
And out there
Living in the sun
Give me one day out there
All I ask is one
To hold forever
Out there
Where they all live unaware
What I'd give
What I'd dare
Just to live one day out there
After the run he effortlessly gave for the word 'there' at the end of the 4th set of lyrics, that's when his inner theater and Broadway experience emerged. He started to move toward the left side of the stage but then stopped. He turned around and waved over to Jagger to join him. The 13-year-old smiled broadly as he quickly hopped off the stool and joined Hulce. The both of them headed toward and finally made it to the left corner of the stage. At that point, Hulce continued on with the song. As he did, the experienced theater/Broadway performer outwardly extended his left arm then made a gliding rainbow-like sweep from left to right with his left hand as a way of acknowledging the audience with Jagger's help. Speaking of Jagger, the broad smile never left his face as he was enjoying an unbelievable moment.
Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives
Through the roofs and gables I can see them
Ev'ry day they shout and scold and go about their lives
Heedless of the gift it is to be them
If I was in their skin
I'd treasure ev'ry instant
Before Hucle reached the end of the last line of the 5th set of lyrics, he and Jagger made their way to the other side of the stage. It was at center stage that he briefly stopped to check on the young man before the two of them headed to the right-side corner. Jagger happily nodded with excitement, clearly having the time of his life. The duo exchanged high fives, which was considered a moment in itself. Afterwards, Hulce pointed with his left index finger to the right-side corner of the stage. Jagger didn't waste any time and took off with Hulce standing there. He turned to the audience and humorously shrugged his shoulders before he joined Jagger. Hulce belted the 1st word of the last set of lyrics when he reached the corner of the stage on the other side where Jagger was waiting for him.
Out there
Strolling by the Seine
Taste a morning out there
Like ordinary me
Who freely walk about there
Just one day and then
I swear I'll be content
With my share
Won't resent
Won't despair
Old and bent
I won't care
I'll have spent
One day
Out there
When Hulce reached what was building to the ending crescendo of the last 3 lines of the song, he took Jagger to center stage. Before he did, he grabbed the stool that Jagger previously sat on and placed it down in front of the young man, who at that point had no idea what was happening. He briefly looked down and then up at Hulce who nodded at him. He then motioned for him to climb up as he reached the first of the last 3 remaining lyrics of the song. As for Jagger, he didn't think twice as he used Hulce's shoulder as support and stuck his left foot on the bottom wooden stretch for his foothold. Afterwards, the teenager lifted, then planted his right foot on top of the flat circular surface of the stool while he supported himself with his left hand on the actor's right shoulder. The 13-year-old immediately struck a seemingly heroic pose. As for the special guest performer, he passionately belted out the last 4 words of the song that impacted not only the courtyard, but inside the hospital as well.
The moment that the song ended, Bash At The Bash history was made for being one of the loudest celebrations that have ever erupted for a musical performance. Both outside and within the hospital as well. It was so loud that it was actually hard to hear anything to the point where it made Emmitt Milbarge angry as he stepped out on one of the outside courtyard balconies. He was visibly annoyed and agitated as both his fingers were stuck in his ears in an attempt to block out the noise. In any case, the historical Bash At the Bench musical performance was the first one that didn't involve Chuck Bartowski, which the nerdy host didn't care about. Speaking of the nerdy host, he was too busy celebrating as he was completely blown away like everybody else with the awesome performance. A few moments later, the nerdy host was on stage and even though it was so loud to say anything, he simply gave Hulce his props by pointing to him and then clapping.
As the consummate professional, he humbly accepted the applause of adoring adulation with grace, which he probably received countless times before after every Broadway performance he was in. However, what made it an even more momentous situation than it already was to begin with, was when Hulce motioned and then pointed to Jagger. The courtyard went ballistic and erupted in applause that seemed louder for the 13-year-old than for Hulce who stepped back to give the spotlight back to the young man who truly deserved it. Jagger's parents were completely emotional whereas his younger siblings were jumping for joy with Pollak seemingly impacted by the whole experience. Ultimately, that was how Bash At The Bench ended with Jagger standing center stage and just soaking in every bit of loving fanfare from people who he saw at one point as complete strangers, but ultimately became his fans for life.
XXX
NOTE: I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter and hoped you enjoyed reading it. I've gotten more positive reviews when it comes writing Bash At the Bench chapters and introducing the newest Rockstar Rebel because how it has emotionally gripped the reader. Truth be told, I've got emotionally invested writing it out, especially when I tend to listen to the dedication song that I chose for the Rockster Rebel. Anyways, what did you think? Share your thoughts and leave a review because their considered an incentive to keep writing for fanfiction authors like myself.
