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“There’s scary blonde woman in your office.” Jones warned him as he walked over that morning. That sounded foreboding.
“What does she want?” He asked. He looked up to where he could see through the glass.
“I don’t know but she’s CIA and she works with the FBI a lot so she has a lot of clearance and a lot of friends who are our higher ups.”
“Damn. Thanks Jones.” He nodded.
He opened the door to his office and stepped in. “Hello. May I help you Miss...?” He said politely.
“Never mind that.” She said staring past him. “I’m sorry to bother you like this. I’m only here to see that bastard.” She barely kept her temper in check. Peter grinned and sighed at the predictability of it. He hoped this wasn’t going to complicate his morning or he was sending Neal back to prison.
He heard the elevator ting and looked up to see Neal exiting. “Is that the bastard?” He signalled. He guessed so because she stormed right past him. Peter followed to make sure Neal wasn’t killed.
“You selfish prick.” She screeched. “ You had the excuse of really being dead the first time, I don’t think you can use that one again.”
“Sarah.” Neal backed away, actually looking scared. This was getting interesting. Peter shot an entertained smile at Jones. “How did you find me?”
“Casey saw you in a database of the FBI. How could you just leave us like that?” She slapped him hard across the face. Neal let her.
“ You and Chuck, were fine without me.” He said harshly back.
“You think Chuck’s fine? You think Chuck’s fine!” Sarah was screaming now. The whole office watching the spectacle. It was lucky they weren’t on any important case right now or Peter wouldn’t be letting her do this, CIA agent or not. “You better wake up Bryce. Stop thinking you can play god in Chuck’s life. Every decision you make for him, every time you turn his life upside down because of what you think is right and then you walk away and leave him all alone.”
“I didn’t leave him all alone! There’s you, Casey, his sister and her fiancé, Morgan.”
“For all you’re smart’s, you’re the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” She hissed. She straightened up. “I’m very sorry, Agent Burke. I won’t disrupt you again.” To Neal she said. “Come see Chuck, if you have any conscience what so ever.” She left.
Afterwards you could have maybe heard a pin drop in that office if it was not for Neal’s ragged breathing.
Peter dragged Neal back to his office. He closed the door and walked around to his side of the desk saying. “Tell me what that was about. Now.”
He froze when Neal couldn’t look at him and started crying. Heart breaking, barely audible sobs that left Peter as speechless as when a woman or child cried. He pulled out a box of tissues and handed it over awkwardly. “Do you want me to...” Peter asked waving at the door, wondering if Neal wanted privacy. He had never seen Neal break down like this.
“No, I’m sorry Peter.” Neal told him, he was trying to force himself to stop crying. “There is something you need to know. I’m not who you think I am.”
“Damn it Neal, when are you going to stop lying to me!” Peter felt a headache coming on.
“I didn’t ask for this. I was happy and honest, well mostly honest. Until the CIA came into my life. I was happy.” Neal stressed at him. He was more frustrated now but his face was still wet.
“Tell me, Neal.” Peter snapped.
“I’m not Neal Caffrey and I’m not a white collar criminal. That was a persona I set up to get close to this department. I work as a spy for the CIA and we have evidence to believe there is someone corrupt in this section of the FBI.”
“Come on, Caffrey. You really expect me to believe this. I doubt a CIA agent would ruin another agent’s mission so spectacularly with such recklessness if that was true.” Peter said.
“She didn’t know. She thought I was dead. She didn’t know I was on a mission. She didn’t trust our superiors when she was dedicated. Let alone now when... now she has Chuck. Chuck has this ability to make you want to do anything for him, even top CIA agents resistant to doing anything but the job.” Neal sighed.
“Like you, only more skilled?” Peter asked confused, thinking of Neal’s charming powers of persuasion.
“Chuck’s nothing like me.” Neal assured him. “Chuck’s more like you, only more skilled.” He joked. “One of the last few innocent, good guys, a dying breed.”
“So now what?” Peter asked.
“I’ve already cleared this office. I’m waiting for the corrupted to take the bait. I’m going to carry on and see if I’ve been revealed. This only works if they think I can be used to get what they want. They want the music box. They think they have Kate.”
“So, you have been living a lie for all these years. 4 years in prison just to get set up here? You never cared about Kate after all.” Peter asked disbelievingly.
“My character needed to have a definite weakness that can be used to control me. If they think they have me, they’ll reveal themselves to me, see? I don’t know how I can prove it to you when you know I can forge anything.”
“I know how, let’s go see Chuck.” Peter said cheerful as always to upset Neal’s plans. He wasn’t ready for the pitiful look Neal gave him. “Come on, Agent Bryce Larkin. Show me where he lives.”
---
In the car, Neal still hadn’t said anything but the directions.
“Talk to me. Make me understand.” Peter prompted gently. Neal gave him another helpless puppy look. When Peter just waited, Neal sighed.
“We met at Stanford, Me and Chuck.” Neal said eventually.
“You went to Stanford?” Peter asked incredulously. Neal threw up his hands, annoyed at his disbelief. “I’m sorry, carry on.”
“You know I’m smart. Chuck was a genius. Yet he was sweet, kind and really geeky. He had few people who would be friends with him because he was so painfully insecure. I got him to trust me by helping him with a game he wanted to design. Learning the code to keep up with him actually made my grade average lower but it was worth it.” Neal smiled remembering something. “He’s everything I’m not. You’ll like him.”
Peter pulled up to the side of the road and braked. He was speechless. He had finally seen what had been painfully missing from Neal when he talked about Kate. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you? Christ, Neal.”
Neal refused to look at him.
“We don’t have to do this, I believe you. If you don’t want to go see him; it’s up to you.”
Neal laughed. “I always want to see him. The question is whether he wants to see me. Like Sarah said, I ruin his life.”
Peter started the car again. “You can’t have done anything that bad.”
“You don’t know.”
“Tell me.”
Neal frowned. “It all went bad when the CIA approached me to be a spy. I didn’t want to. I wanted to be with Chuck. But I knew if I had been recruited with my scores, Chuck was next. Chuck would think it would be cool to be a spy. He didn’t know anything, despite how smart he was, he was so innocent and naive. He didn’t even know his girlfriend was using him, when everyone else did. She was beautiful and paid attention to Chuck and that was all he needed to know.
If the CIA gotten a hold of Chuck, they would have ruined that in him. I... I got the help of a professor to help me frame Chuck for cheating on all his exams. Not only that but to get him in trouble for supplying. With his 100% pass rate on all his exams it was an easy sell and none of the teachers knew Chuck personally because he was so shy so no one defended him. He was kicked out of Stanford immediately and the CIA stopped looking at him as a potential.
He packed his things. He didn’t scream or shout at me. He just asked me why. He probably hadn’t even believed back then that it was me who had framed him. He would never believe that of his closest friend, would do that to him. He was asking me why I had turned him in, not even doubting he was guilty.” Neal was fighting tears again he knew.
“I thought he’d be okay.” Neal continued. “He was brilliant and sweet. People would take care of him. In the meantime, I was the best spy I could be, keeping the country safe. It was a while before we crossed paths again when I found something called the intercept; A dangerous amount of information from both the CIA and FBI co-operating. I got it and escaped but I was being pursued. I knew I was a dead man walking. I managed to send the intercept to the one person I trusted. Chuck.
Chuck collected all this information directly into his brain, through subliminal images. He is now the only copy of the intercept existing. I’d turned him into a target, just like I had wanted to avoid. I hadn’t been thinking straight. It was then I was shot. I should have died right then.
Chuck wasn’t left alone though. Sarah, who you met and an FBI agent Casey protect him and used the information Chuck has to catch the very worst criminals threatening us.
Obviously I didn’t die. Some criminals brought me back thinking I was the intercept. I tried working with Sarah and Casey for a while but Chuck was already in love with Sarah and Sarah was falling for Chuck. He was happy with her and while I ... I couldn’t. I let Chuck be happy and I left. Everyone could go on thinking I was the intercept and keep the danger from Chuck.
The last time I saw him, I’d been shot again, nearly died again. You can understand why guns make me so uneasy. Chuck and Sarah had already gotten over their grief for me by the time I was well again and I thought it best to leave it at that. I went on my next mission which was to see who would bend the FBI rules to get the music box.”
Peter tried to process that but couldn’t. “That... I’m sorry that sounds like science fiction to me. Still, I’d like to meet this Chuck. He must be incredible if he’s got you all star struck.” Peter teased.
“Star struck? That’s kind of an understatement. I learned Klingon for this guy.” Neal mumbled and blushed but couldn’t help smiling. Peter couldn’t help but be happy for him.
“Wow, that is geeky. That makes me cool.” Peter agreed.
“Don’t push it.” Neal laughed. “We played with toy guns and rubber arrows in the library. He looked up to me because I was everything he wasn’t. I could never convince him he didn’t need to change who he was at all. I was all flash and he was all heart.”
Neal couldn’t stop talking about Chuck now he had started. Peter realised for a person who never admitted anything about himself, he must really trust Peter to trust him with this. He couldn’t wait to tell Elizabeth. She’d so gush.
---
They were in front of the buy more store and Neal was scared. He didn’t show it of course. He was horrified he had cried in front of Peter. But he couldn’t hide in front of Peter. He had the same simple honest air about him that Chuck had. That he couldn’t help but trust.
The first person he saw in the store was Casey. Casey growled and cracked his knuckles. “You have a lot of nerve.”
Neal nodded. “This is FBI agent Peter Burke. This is FBI agent Casey.” He introduced quietly with a winning smile. Casey looked like he wanted to murder Neal there.
“Agent Sarah told him to come here. There isn’t a problem here, is there?” Peter took charge of the situation.
“Only if pretty boy there intends to say hi, and then ditches Chuck again.” Casey growled.
“Neal will stay in touch. I assure it.” Peter told him and Neal looked at him like he was crazy but the smiled at Casey too nodding.
“He thinks you’re dead still.” Casey warned with a grunt.
Peter looked at Neal questioningly as they left the guy to go to the counter. Casey was a weird choice agent for this kind of job. Neal understood what he was asking. “He balances out the team.” Neal explained. “Neither Chuck nor Sarah have much weight behind them. Casey has both the knowledge, weight and desire to hurt bad guys that keeps these guys safe. He’s also a weapons expert with a lot of guns. He’s the one who shot me dead the first time round.”
Peter looked at him startled. He really shouldn’t be by now. As they got to the counter there was no one there. Though he could have sworn that there was someone was there when they walked in. He rang the bell. There was whispering and someone was shoved from under the desk. It was a short guy with a beard who quickly straightened up and welcomed them. He chatted needlessly about the offers buy more has. Peter looked at Neal. This guy knew something about them and was terribly trying to cover it up. Obviously not a secret agent himself.
“Morgan.” Neal said and the guy shut up. “Can you tell Chuck I’m really sorry and if he doesn’t want to talk to me he doesn’t have to?”
“Here.” Peter said, pulling out a card. “Call this if you ever change your mind. I’ll patch you through.” He said and leaned over the counter to hand it to the person underneath the desk and not this person Morgan. He felt someone eventually tug it out of his hand. They couldn’t do anything more if Chuck was going to hide from them.
“Bryce.” As they were turning to leave they heard a quiet voice that sounded quite wrecked. “If you die for real, how would I ever trust it?”
Neal didn’t answer.
“Just don’t.” Peter answered for him. “The only truth I learned about this guy is that he’ll always lie.”
A face slowly appeared from under the counter. He wasn’t what Peter was expecting but he hadn’t known what to expect. He was very, very tall 6” 4’ at least, skinny; brown eyes and hair. He was looking only at Caffrey though, which was typical.
“Are you here on a case?” He asked.
“Sarah found me this morning. She informed me of the prick I was being letting you think I was dead. I wanted to see you.”
Chuck was quiet for a moment. “Want to have dinner tonight? Captain Awesome’s going to cook. Your friend...” He looked down and read the name off of the card. “Peter can come too.”
Somehow the way Chuck said friend made Peter think Chuck was jealous. He smiled. “Neal would love to, wouldn’t you Neal.” He patted him on the back as the spy/convict gaped at him. “I however have to get home to my wife.” He smoothed his jacket so Chuck had a clear view of his wedding ring.
He turned to leave but had a hard time doing it. He realised even though he knew Neal wouldn’t run away now, he still felt the habit of being scared he would. “I know you won’t try and run Neal but give me a call in the morning. Can you make sure he doesn’t run?” He asked Chuck. Morgan his friend looked evil as he stepped forward with a phone cord in his hand and he snapped it.
“Don’t worry, sir. I’m going to make sure he’s too tied up to go anywhere.”Morgan promised with a grin.
The twinkle in Neal’s eye even though he kept a straight face said he was not at all threatened.
“Thank you, Peter.” Neal said gratefully.
“Just don’t screw things up this time okay. Do everything you can to stay. That’s the only way things worked with me an Elizabeth.” Peter told him quietly.
---
Neal waited the few hours until Chuck got off work in the back room. He had not expected to be here when he woke up this morning. He had so much to think about it seemed like no time until Chuck was there staring at him awkwardly. Neal smiled. It was automatic to be confident, to put people at ease by making you feel noticed and welcome.
He and Chuck walked to the tech car.
“So, where have you been Bryce, if you can tell me?” Chuck bit his lip as he started the car.
“I’m a con man now, named Neal Caffrey. I’m working my prison time as a consultant to the FBI. Peter even thought I was a criminal until this morning when Sarah busted my cover.”Neal wondered if it really mattered that he was saying this.
“Do you have to wear a surveillance anklet?” Chuck asked. He sounded really curious and Neal smiled.
“Yeah, it’s switched off right now though.”
“Why did you go? We thought you were dead... again!” Chuck asked. Neal was surprised by the suddenly serious question.
“I didn’t think it would matter to you. But I have been informed by Sarah that I make terrible decisions and so I’ll leave it to you this time. If you want to see me, you can. If you don’t, I’ll leave you alone.” Neal promised.
“What do you want?” Chuck asked. He really was too insecure.
“I just want us to be friends again, if you can forgive me.” Neal said quietly.
“Me too.” Chuck agreed after a moment and smiled. Neal loved his smile, it was so goofy. “But you’ll need to forgive me for something too.” He said as they arrived and parked.
“Forgive you? For what?” Neal asked confused and thinking it was too easy to forgive Chuck for anything.
“I realised something, the last time we spoke before you got shot. I didn’t see it when I was with Jan or Sarah but even if you can’t... just hear me out and if you can forgive me we can just be friends.” Chuck’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. Neal put his hand on Chuck’s concerned.
“What is it?”
Chuck looked at him, looking slightly helpless. Then Chuck moved towards him and he was being kissed. His eyes shut at the sheer shock. His heart beating way to hard. Chuck took advantage of his shock and kissed him properly. When had he become so strong? Neal couldn’t catch his breath.
Chuck broke off the kiss, watching for his reaction. Then he sat back and stared out into the car park when he didn’t move or speak.
“Always.” Neal managed.
Chuck didn’t ask.
“There has never been anyone in my life... but you.” Neal admitted softly.
“Why all the girls then.” Chuck asked unsure.
“I’m a liar, Chuck. It’s when I tell the truth that’s the exception.”
“Is this the truth, or the lie then?”
Neal looked down. Like he said to Peter, how could he prove anything when he could fake anything?
“It depends on how far you believe I would go to lie. If I spent every day with you, forever, could you ever trust that it was because of the reason’s you wanted?”
“No, probably not.” Chuck smiled slightly. “You’re a liar.”
Neal sighed. Then Chuck kissed him surprising him again.
“That guy, Peter. He really cares about you.” Chuck said.
“I don’t know why. He ignores my charm and I make his life hell otherwise.”
“How does he trust you?” Chuck asked.
Neal laughed. “Like he said, he doesn’t. He has my anklet monitored 24/7. He barely left me here, even though he knows I’m an agent now. I bet he’ll worry until tomorrow.”
“I’ll do that then.” Chuck told him. Neal looked at him incredulous. Then laughed.
“You want to put a surveillance anklet on me as well?”
“I want you to kiss me, idiot.”