[FIC] Chuck - Chuck vs. The First Trimester
Title: Chuck vs. The First Trimester
Author: themaskedmckay
Rating: Gen
Fandom: Chuck
Pairing: Canon
Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me.
Summary: Chuck has to step up to the plate in Devon's absence.
Spoilers: If you've seen the first couple of episodes you should be fine.
Word Count: 3,119
Author's Notes: Dedicated to W. (Thanks for pushing me to watch Chuck! =D)
----------------------------
The first sign something was wrong was when Ellie ran for the bathroom after smelling Chuck and Morgan's donairs. Chuck followed her to the bathroom and leaned against the door, "Um, sis? You okay?" Chuck took a bite of his donair and chewed slowly while he listened for a response. If he had been fluent in dry heaving he would have understood immediately what was wrong. "Sis?"
"I can smell your gross food!" Ellie yelled through the bathroom door.
Chuck looked down at his half-eaten donair. He sniffed it cautiously. It smelled like spicy meat and special sauce to him. Maybe it was the onions? "Okay, then! How about I just go back to the living room?"
"Go away, Chuck."
"Right," Chuck dropped the rest of his donair in the trash then flopped on the couch next to Morgan. "I think the donairs might be bad." Morgan handed Chuck an X-box controller,
"Huh, mine tastes fine to me.” He sniffed the donair, shrugged, and took a big bite. ”You're the gunner this time, okay?"
"Yeah, okay."
The second sign something was wrong was when Chuck woke up, so late at night it was early morning, to an ear-splitting shriek. He flailed wildly and was flat on his belly on the floor before he registered what was going on. When no gunfire or flying knives or ninja immediately materialized he relaxed and thought about what he had heard. The scream had come from the bathroom and it was only him and Ellie at home.
"Ellie!" Chuck scrambled to his feet and ran down the hall. He burst into the bathroom and a moment later realized he probably should have waited for Casey, who should have also heard the scream with his fancy-pants, creepy, stalker-esque surveillance gear, just in case it was Fulcrum-related. Ellie was sitting on the toilet in her scrubs, thankfully with her pants pulled up, crying.
Chuck knelt on the floor next to Ellie and wrapped his arms around her. "What's the matter? Are you okay?" Ellie waved a coloured strip of something under his nose,
"Does this look okay to you?" she sobbed. Chuck took the strip from her
"Um...." Chuck turned it around and tried looking at it at different angles. It was nearly half blue, sort of damp, and, he sniffed it, it sort of smelled like pee. Ellie gave him an exasperated look,
"It's a pregnancy test, Chuck! I'm pregnant!" Chuck dropped the strip on the floor and wiped his hands off on his shirt.
"You peed on that?" A noise in the hallway caught Chuck's attention. "You just, you just sit here Ellie. I'll get you some... some milk or something!" He slid into the hallway and immediately noticed it was filled with an aggressive NSA agent who was armed and ready to kill. Casey raised his eyebrows and jerked his head towards the bathroom. Chuck shook his head vigorously, pushed Casey into his bedroom and shut the door.
"What's going on?" Casey whispered.
"Nothing, shhh." Chuck listened at the door but all he could hear was Ellie blowing her nose. "Ellie just found out she's pregnant."
Casey's eyes widened, "Oh."
"And," Chuck continued, "Devon's out of town for the weekend on a camping trip with the guys."
"Uh-huh." Casey slowly backed towards Chuck's open bedroom window. "So she's upset and probably needs a shoulder to cry on?"
"I guess so.” Chuck turned around to see Casey half out the window, “Where are you going?" he asked.
"I’ve got to go! I'll, uh, be listening in."
There was no third sign that something was wrong because the second sign pretty much covered it.
Chuck put Ellie to bed and slept with her for the first time since he was a kid just so she wouldn't be alone. Morning wood was definitely a good reason never to do that again. He tried calling Devon while Ellie slept but wherever they were camping they obviously didn't have cellular reception.
He had just finished eating a bowl of cereal when Sarah's lovely face filled the screen of his cell phone; Chuck was more than happy to answer, "Sarah! Hi!"
"Hi. I hear Ellie isn't doing too well."
"She's sleeping now; she's on the night shift. But yeah, she was pretty upset last night." Chuck shifted the phone so he could hold it with a shoulder against his ear while he struggled to get his shoes on. "I'm just one my way to work; I thought I'd get her something nice when I get off work to cheer her up. She’d probably want a bottle of wine but um..."
"That's really thoughtful of you, Chuck. Casey said she had 'lady troubles'?" Sarah's voice carried her amusement well. Chuck thumped his forehead against the wall a couple of times.
"Sure, yeah, if you’re a repressed guy with the sensitivity of sandpaper you could call it ‘lady troubles’; she’s pregnant. Which, you know is a happy thing but I think she really wanted to wait until after they were married. And I think she really wanted to wait a year or two before they started. And that’s also why I won’t be bringing wine home for her. Maybe a selection of decadent ice creams and her favourite movies would be better."
"Were they using protection?" Sarah automatically asked. Maybe it was because she was trained to look for cause and effect that it was the first thing she blurted out, or maybe it was that niggling bit of fear every woman looking to avoid complications felt when she heard about a potential birth control failure.
"Augh, Sarah, don’t say that! I don't ask and they don't tell, but they're doctors so my guess is, yes, they know about 'protection' and were probably using it." Chuck full-body shuddered. "Let us never again speak of my sister and prophylactics in the same sentence. It’s bad enough I’m already talking about her ‘lady troubles’."
"Okay," Sarah made a note to stop in and talk to Ellie soon. Cover maintenance was a good enough excuse and Ellie could also probably use a friendly, female, ear. "Anyhow, I was also calling to remind you we have a lunch date. Don't be late."
"Oooh, can we go for Subway? I’ve got these coupons... oh, you mean a ‘lunch date’ not a lunch date.” He sighed, “I'll meet you at noon."
'Later' turned into an afternoon of skulking around an embassy and dodging bullets which turned into an early evening of Chuck running madly to his front door hoping to catch Ellie before she left for work.
"Ellie! You're up! I wanted to surprise you with these," Chuck tried handing Ellie the bouquet of daisies he picked up while taking off his shoes. The plastic bag hanging from his wrist swung hard into his thigh, adding to the bruises from where he fell off a balcony earlier in the day. She took the flowers with a sad smile,
"Thanks, Chuck. Oh, daisies..."
Chuck smiled, "Remember when we were kids and you’d always call your dolls Daisy and well, I know you can't tell yet but I thought it might..." Chuck's smile vanished and was replaced by puppy dog eyes of concern. "Why are you crying? Did I make you cry? Don't cry!" Ellie crushed the bouquet to her chest in a tight hug and sobbed,
"T-they're beautiful." Chuck put his arms around her.
"Hey, hey, don't cry. It's okay. Everything will be fine."
"I wish," Ellie hiccoughed, "I wish Devon were here."
"Yeah, me too," Chuck said then realized that probably sounded insensitive, "I mean, because this is something you should be sharing with him! Because he's your fiancé! And he’s your baby-daddy!" Ellie cried into Chuck's chest. "Um, um, you know what? Maybe you shouldn't go into work tonight. Maybe you should just have a hot bath, eat some of this ice cream I bought you, and sit on the couch wrapped up in blankets watching movies with me." Ellie sniffled and wiped her face on Chuck's shirt,
"I should really go in."
"Ahh, but you don't want to and really, what if you start crying when you're with a patient? You might make them think they're dying or something. And you'll be more comfortable hiding in our bathroom crying than a bathroom stall at the hospital, right?" Ellie hiccoughed again and nodded her head. "There, see? Even Doctor Bartowski is allowed to call in sick once in a while."
Chuck steered her into her bedroom and sat her on the bed. "I'll run you a hot bath and see about some supper for me and breakfast for you, okay?"
"Thank you, Charles. I'm not acting like a big sister right now, am I?"
"Hey, no, don't even go there. I can step up to the plate and play the older sibling once in a while." Chuck thought about it for a moment then added, “Or personal assistant. Or slave. Let me get that bath ready for you, okay?”
---
Ellie was in the bath when somebody knocked at the door. Chuck wiped his hands off on the apron he was wearing; it wasn't doing dishes unless you wore an apron, and answered the door. A large Tupperware container was thrust into his chest. "Here," Casey growled. "They're for your sister. But I guess you can have some too."
Chuck peeled back the lid of the Tupperware and inside was nestled a dozen, professionally frosted cupcakes. He stared at them then looked at Casey. "Did you make these?"
"Maybe," Casey's looked away, "Just keep her from crying so much tonight, okay? It's hard to listen to."
"Um, sure."
Casey left and Chuck shut the door.
The cupcakes were divine. They were moist chocolate with a rich chocolate ganache centre that Chuck felt no shame licking off his fingers, and palm, and wrist where the first cupcake had spurted unexpectedly on him. The frosting was vanilla butter cream with flecks of real vanilla bean and tasted like really expensive ice cream. Ellie made happy noises every time she bit into one. Chuck was repressing seriously porny noises only because he knew John was listening to everything in the apartment. "John Casey made these?" Ellie asked.
Chuck wondered if he shouldn't have told her, too late now. "Mm-hmm," he replied around a mouthful of sinful pleasure.
"And he's single?"
"Mm-hmm."
"You should marry him."
Chuck choked on delicious baked goods and for a moment thought it wouldn't be a bad way to die; at least he’d be dead before Casey could start teasing him. Ellie asked him if he could breathe and he could so she gave him her full glass of milk and he managed to swallow all the crumbs. "I don't think Casey's the marrying kind, Ellie," he finally said.
"Do him for me, Chuck." Ellie teased, "Seduce and marry him and secure access to delicious baked goods for your loving sister." It was a good thing he hadn’t taken another bite yet. Maybe Casey was in the bathroom and didn’t hear that part.
"I'm not ready for that sort of commitment!” Chuck protested. Ah well, if Casey was going to tease him about this anyways he might as well go for broke, ”How about I just feel him up in the men's room?"
"If he'll put out baking for that, sure!"
"Ellie, I am shocked and appalled by the ease with which you would sell your brother's virtue!"
"Never underestimate a woman when it comes to chocolate." Ellie poked a foot out from under her fuzzy blanket and pushed him in the ribs. Her expression turned vulnerable and tender, "I really appreciate you staying in with me tonight. I know you probably had plans with Sarah."
"Naw, this is more important. You're important, Ellie." Chuck licked his lips and looked a bit sad, "I know I'm not around as much these days. I'm sorry."
"I've missed you," she looked at him with patented Bartowski openness and love, "But I understand. You're finally growing up." Chuck squirmed and looked embarrassed,
"So, now is probably not the right time to tell you the second movie of the evening is Transformers?"
--
Devon came home the next day and found Chuck and Ellie asleep on the couch together. Ellie was curled up at one end and Chuck was stretched out with his feet extending past her head. Chocolate crumbs, cupcake papers, and bowls of melted ice cream were scattered on the coffee table. Devon set his bag down on the floor with a soft ‘clunk’ and Chuck's eyes snapped open. He flailed, kicking Ellie in the head. “Chuck!"
"Sorry, Ellie! Hi Devon!"
"Devon?" Ellie squinted through the bright sunshine, "Devon!" She leapt off the couch and threw herself at him.
"Looks like you guys had an awesome night!" Devon cheerfully greeted them through a barrage of Ellie’s kisses.
"It was... it had ups and downs." Ellie said. She firmed up her resolve and grabbed Devon's hand, "We need to talk. Now."
"Okay, babe!" Devon allowed himself to be led off to their bedroom. "Later, Chuck."
A few minutes passed and Chuck heard a loud cry of 'AWESOME’. He let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and let his head fall back on the couch. If the past two days were an indication of what a mature relationship could have in store for him, he could deal with cover dating for a while yet.
“Chuck, we’re going out for breakfast to celebrate,” Devon announced. “Pancakes are on me!”
---
The IHOP was hopping with the early morning weekend crowd. They managed to snag a booth which meant Devon and Chuck could put their feet up on the seat across from them if they wanted, which they didn’t, because they had Donna for a waitress and she would withhold their food or smack their knuckles with a spoon until they behaved.
Ellie cuddled into Devon’s side and read off of his menu. Chuck was relieved to see Devon was taking the pregnancy in stride and his being, well, awesome about it had calmed Ellie down considerably. He folded his menu shut and tossed it on the table, “Well, I’m doing the Butterscotch Rocks pancakes. Who said breakfast can’t contain caramel sauce? Not me!”
“I’m going for the double blueberry,” Devon said, “Twice the berries for awesome antioxidant action!”
“I’m sticking with the strawberry banana pancakes.” Ellie smiled at Chuck. They had a secret sibling pact when they went for breakfast with Devon; order the pancakes most like dessert to make him twitch. Strawberry banana pancakes were like eating an ice cream sundae only with pancakes instead of ice cream.
“You Bartowskis,” Devon said with good-natured affection, “I don’t know how you can eat sweet stuff for breakfast!” Ellie laughed and held her hand up for Chuck to high-five,
“You should have seen us last night with the cupcakes John baked,” she said. “They were filled with chocolate ganache!”
“Mmmm, ganache,” Chuck half-closed his eyes with remembered bliss.
“So, I guess you two are jogging with me today?” Devon waggled his eyebrows as if jogging were some sort of special treat. The Bartowski siblings slunk down in their seats,
“Actually, hold that thought,” Chuck said. “I have to jog over to the little boys’ room.”
“We’ll order for you, buddy.”
Chuck dodged waitresses as he made his way to the back of the restaurant. Did IHOP only employ small women? There always seemed to be a hot mug of coffee at waist height when he walked around in an IHOP. “Sorry, excuse me,” he dodged around Donna and slipped into the men’s’ room.
He really shouldn’t have been surprised to see John Casey leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest; not after what was said last night. Casey was smirking. Chuck felt his heart drop into his stomach,
“Um, hey Casey. Do you normally hang out in bathrooms, or is this a new thing?”
“Cute, Bartowski. With snappy banter like that I see why the ladies are all over you.”
Chuck stood there awkwardly, trying not to cross his legs, really needing to pee. “Okay then, I’m going to assume you’re a crazy person and this is how you spend your Saturday mornings. Now, if you’ll just leave, I need to pee.”
“It’s a free country.” Casey didn’t shift position. He didn’t even blink. If there were a device in the room that could measure awkwardness and embarrassment it would be registering in the red, for ‘Warning - Extreme Levels of Awkward’.
“So, turn around or something. I can’t go if you’re watching!”
Casey smiled, a not very nice smile, and shifted his stance so he was standing with his feet spread and hands on his hips, “My watching, and listening, doesn’t seem to stop you when you’re at home, Chuck.”
“This is about last night, isn’t it? I should make it perfectly clear that it was all in jest and even if you could make cheesecake and cream puffs and seven layer chocolate cakes... Um, you can’t make those, can you? Because If you can Ellie really would try to sell me off.”
“Niagara Falls, rushing rivers of water, drip drip drip.”
“You,” Chuck’s eyes narrowed, “Can’t possibly think that will work, can you?”
“Fwoooooshhhhhh....”
“Hnnnng,” Chuck danced in place for a moment then dashed over to a urinal. “I really, really hate you right now.”
“Aw, does that mean you don’t want to feel me up?” Suddenly Casey was at Chuck’s back and breathing in his ear, “Because I don’t mind barter for baked goods.”
“Aaaauagh!” Chuck jerked and swore as he splashed his pants. “Dude, urinal etiquette states dudes don’t stand so close!” Casey looked down and snickered. “DUDE! You don’t look at another man’s junk, either!”
“Got some on your pants there, Chuck,” Casey clicked his tongue against his teeth and gave Chuck a gentle cuff upside the head. “I’ve seen your junk plenty of times. Now finish your breakfast and get your ass over to Castle. We have a mission.”
“But today’s my day off!” Chuck looked around but Casey was already going out the door, “And what do you mean you’ve seen my junk plenty of times?” There was no answer. “My name’s John Casey," Chuck said in a gruff voice, "and I’m a big mean man who doesn’t get enough hugs.” The door swung open and Casey stuck his head in,
“Move it!”
At least he got to eat celebratory pancakes with his sister and her awesome fiancé before running off to make the world a little bit safer for any future nieces or nephews an Awesome-Bartowski union might produce.
Author: themaskedmckay
Rating: Gen
Fandom: Chuck
Pairing: Canon
Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me.
Summary: Chuck has to step up to the plate in Devon's absence.
Spoilers: If you've seen the first couple of episodes you should be fine.
Word Count: 3,119
Author's Notes: Dedicated to W. (Thanks for pushing me to watch Chuck! =D)
----------------------------
The first sign something was wrong was when Ellie ran for the bathroom after smelling Chuck and Morgan's donairs. Chuck followed her to the bathroom and leaned against the door, "Um, sis? You okay?" Chuck took a bite of his donair and chewed slowly while he listened for a response. If he had been fluent in dry heaving he would have understood immediately what was wrong. "Sis?"
"I can smell your gross food!" Ellie yelled through the bathroom door.
Chuck looked down at his half-eaten donair. He sniffed it cautiously. It smelled like spicy meat and special sauce to him. Maybe it was the onions? "Okay, then! How about I just go back to the living room?"
"Go away, Chuck."
"Right," Chuck dropped the rest of his donair in the trash then flopped on the couch next to Morgan. "I think the donairs might be bad." Morgan handed Chuck an X-box controller,
"Huh, mine tastes fine to me.” He sniffed the donair, shrugged, and took a big bite. ”You're the gunner this time, okay?"
"Yeah, okay."
The second sign something was wrong was when Chuck woke up, so late at night it was early morning, to an ear-splitting shriek. He flailed wildly and was flat on his belly on the floor before he registered what was going on. When no gunfire or flying knives or ninja immediately materialized he relaxed and thought about what he had heard. The scream had come from the bathroom and it was only him and Ellie at home.
"Ellie!" Chuck scrambled to his feet and ran down the hall. He burst into the bathroom and a moment later realized he probably should have waited for Casey, who should have also heard the scream with his fancy-pants, creepy, stalker-esque surveillance gear, just in case it was Fulcrum-related. Ellie was sitting on the toilet in her scrubs, thankfully with her pants pulled up, crying.
Chuck knelt on the floor next to Ellie and wrapped his arms around her. "What's the matter? Are you okay?" Ellie waved a coloured strip of something under his nose,
"Does this look okay to you?" she sobbed. Chuck took the strip from her
"Um...." Chuck turned it around and tried looking at it at different angles. It was nearly half blue, sort of damp, and, he sniffed it, it sort of smelled like pee. Ellie gave him an exasperated look,
"It's a pregnancy test, Chuck! I'm pregnant!" Chuck dropped the strip on the floor and wiped his hands off on his shirt.
"You peed on that?" A noise in the hallway caught Chuck's attention. "You just, you just sit here Ellie. I'll get you some... some milk or something!" He slid into the hallway and immediately noticed it was filled with an aggressive NSA agent who was armed and ready to kill. Casey raised his eyebrows and jerked his head towards the bathroom. Chuck shook his head vigorously, pushed Casey into his bedroom and shut the door.
"What's going on?" Casey whispered.
"Nothing, shhh." Chuck listened at the door but all he could hear was Ellie blowing her nose. "Ellie just found out she's pregnant."
Casey's eyes widened, "Oh."
"And," Chuck continued, "Devon's out of town for the weekend on a camping trip with the guys."
"Uh-huh." Casey slowly backed towards Chuck's open bedroom window. "So she's upset and probably needs a shoulder to cry on?"
"I guess so.” Chuck turned around to see Casey half out the window, “Where are you going?" he asked.
"I’ve got to go! I'll, uh, be listening in."
There was no third sign that something was wrong because the second sign pretty much covered it.
Chuck put Ellie to bed and slept with her for the first time since he was a kid just so she wouldn't be alone. Morning wood was definitely a good reason never to do that again. He tried calling Devon while Ellie slept but wherever they were camping they obviously didn't have cellular reception.
He had just finished eating a bowl of cereal when Sarah's lovely face filled the screen of his cell phone; Chuck was more than happy to answer, "Sarah! Hi!"
"Hi. I hear Ellie isn't doing too well."
"She's sleeping now; she's on the night shift. But yeah, she was pretty upset last night." Chuck shifted the phone so he could hold it with a shoulder against his ear while he struggled to get his shoes on. "I'm just one my way to work; I thought I'd get her something nice when I get off work to cheer her up. She’d probably want a bottle of wine but um..."
"That's really thoughtful of you, Chuck. Casey said she had 'lady troubles'?" Sarah's voice carried her amusement well. Chuck thumped his forehead against the wall a couple of times.
"Sure, yeah, if you’re a repressed guy with the sensitivity of sandpaper you could call it ‘lady troubles’; she’s pregnant. Which, you know is a happy thing but I think she really wanted to wait until after they were married. And I think she really wanted to wait a year or two before they started. And that’s also why I won’t be bringing wine home for her. Maybe a selection of decadent ice creams and her favourite movies would be better."
"Were they using protection?" Sarah automatically asked. Maybe it was because she was trained to look for cause and effect that it was the first thing she blurted out, or maybe it was that niggling bit of fear every woman looking to avoid complications felt when she heard about a potential birth control failure.
"Augh, Sarah, don’t say that! I don't ask and they don't tell, but they're doctors so my guess is, yes, they know about 'protection' and were probably using it." Chuck full-body shuddered. "Let us never again speak of my sister and prophylactics in the same sentence. It’s bad enough I’m already talking about her ‘lady troubles’."
"Okay," Sarah made a note to stop in and talk to Ellie soon. Cover maintenance was a good enough excuse and Ellie could also probably use a friendly, female, ear. "Anyhow, I was also calling to remind you we have a lunch date. Don't be late."
"Oooh, can we go for Subway? I’ve got these coupons... oh, you mean a ‘lunch date’ not a lunch date.” He sighed, “I'll meet you at noon."
'Later' turned into an afternoon of skulking around an embassy and dodging bullets which turned into an early evening of Chuck running madly to his front door hoping to catch Ellie before she left for work.
"Ellie! You're up! I wanted to surprise you with these," Chuck tried handing Ellie the bouquet of daisies he picked up while taking off his shoes. The plastic bag hanging from his wrist swung hard into his thigh, adding to the bruises from where he fell off a balcony earlier in the day. She took the flowers with a sad smile,
"Thanks, Chuck. Oh, daisies..."
Chuck smiled, "Remember when we were kids and you’d always call your dolls Daisy and well, I know you can't tell yet but I thought it might..." Chuck's smile vanished and was replaced by puppy dog eyes of concern. "Why are you crying? Did I make you cry? Don't cry!" Ellie crushed the bouquet to her chest in a tight hug and sobbed,
"T-they're beautiful." Chuck put his arms around her.
"Hey, hey, don't cry. It's okay. Everything will be fine."
"I wish," Ellie hiccoughed, "I wish Devon were here."
"Yeah, me too," Chuck said then realized that probably sounded insensitive, "I mean, because this is something you should be sharing with him! Because he's your fiancé! And he’s your baby-daddy!" Ellie cried into Chuck's chest. "Um, um, you know what? Maybe you shouldn't go into work tonight. Maybe you should just have a hot bath, eat some of this ice cream I bought you, and sit on the couch wrapped up in blankets watching movies with me." Ellie sniffled and wiped her face on Chuck's shirt,
"I should really go in."
"Ahh, but you don't want to and really, what if you start crying when you're with a patient? You might make them think they're dying or something. And you'll be more comfortable hiding in our bathroom crying than a bathroom stall at the hospital, right?" Ellie hiccoughed again and nodded her head. "There, see? Even Doctor Bartowski is allowed to call in sick once in a while."
Chuck steered her into her bedroom and sat her on the bed. "I'll run you a hot bath and see about some supper for me and breakfast for you, okay?"
"Thank you, Charles. I'm not acting like a big sister right now, am I?"
"Hey, no, don't even go there. I can step up to the plate and play the older sibling once in a while." Chuck thought about it for a moment then added, “Or personal assistant. Or slave. Let me get that bath ready for you, okay?”
---
Ellie was in the bath when somebody knocked at the door. Chuck wiped his hands off on the apron he was wearing; it wasn't doing dishes unless you wore an apron, and answered the door. A large Tupperware container was thrust into his chest. "Here," Casey growled. "They're for your sister. But I guess you can have some too."
Chuck peeled back the lid of the Tupperware and inside was nestled a dozen, professionally frosted cupcakes. He stared at them then looked at Casey. "Did you make these?"
"Maybe," Casey's looked away, "Just keep her from crying so much tonight, okay? It's hard to listen to."
"Um, sure."
Casey left and Chuck shut the door.
The cupcakes were divine. They were moist chocolate with a rich chocolate ganache centre that Chuck felt no shame licking off his fingers, and palm, and wrist where the first cupcake had spurted unexpectedly on him. The frosting was vanilla butter cream with flecks of real vanilla bean and tasted like really expensive ice cream. Ellie made happy noises every time she bit into one. Chuck was repressing seriously porny noises only because he knew John was listening to everything in the apartment. "John Casey made these?" Ellie asked.
Chuck wondered if he shouldn't have told her, too late now. "Mm-hmm," he replied around a mouthful of sinful pleasure.
"And he's single?"
"Mm-hmm."
"You should marry him."
Chuck choked on delicious baked goods and for a moment thought it wouldn't be a bad way to die; at least he’d be dead before Casey could start teasing him. Ellie asked him if he could breathe and he could so she gave him her full glass of milk and he managed to swallow all the crumbs. "I don't think Casey's the marrying kind, Ellie," he finally said.
"Do him for me, Chuck." Ellie teased, "Seduce and marry him and secure access to delicious baked goods for your loving sister." It was a good thing he hadn’t taken another bite yet. Maybe Casey was in the bathroom and didn’t hear that part.
"I'm not ready for that sort of commitment!” Chuck protested. Ah well, if Casey was going to tease him about this anyways he might as well go for broke, ”How about I just feel him up in the men's room?"
"If he'll put out baking for that, sure!"
"Ellie, I am shocked and appalled by the ease with which you would sell your brother's virtue!"
"Never underestimate a woman when it comes to chocolate." Ellie poked a foot out from under her fuzzy blanket and pushed him in the ribs. Her expression turned vulnerable and tender, "I really appreciate you staying in with me tonight. I know you probably had plans with Sarah."
"Naw, this is more important. You're important, Ellie." Chuck licked his lips and looked a bit sad, "I know I'm not around as much these days. I'm sorry."
"I've missed you," she looked at him with patented Bartowski openness and love, "But I understand. You're finally growing up." Chuck squirmed and looked embarrassed,
"So, now is probably not the right time to tell you the second movie of the evening is Transformers?"
--
Devon came home the next day and found Chuck and Ellie asleep on the couch together. Ellie was curled up at one end and Chuck was stretched out with his feet extending past her head. Chocolate crumbs, cupcake papers, and bowls of melted ice cream were scattered on the coffee table. Devon set his bag down on the floor with a soft ‘clunk’ and Chuck's eyes snapped open. He flailed, kicking Ellie in the head. “Chuck!"
"Sorry, Ellie! Hi Devon!"
"Devon?" Ellie squinted through the bright sunshine, "Devon!" She leapt off the couch and threw herself at him.
"Looks like you guys had an awesome night!" Devon cheerfully greeted them through a barrage of Ellie’s kisses.
"It was... it had ups and downs." Ellie said. She firmed up her resolve and grabbed Devon's hand, "We need to talk. Now."
"Okay, babe!" Devon allowed himself to be led off to their bedroom. "Later, Chuck."
A few minutes passed and Chuck heard a loud cry of 'AWESOME’. He let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and let his head fall back on the couch. If the past two days were an indication of what a mature relationship could have in store for him, he could deal with cover dating for a while yet.
“Chuck, we’re going out for breakfast to celebrate,” Devon announced. “Pancakes are on me!”
---
The IHOP was hopping with the early morning weekend crowd. They managed to snag a booth which meant Devon and Chuck could put their feet up on the seat across from them if they wanted, which they didn’t, because they had Donna for a waitress and she would withhold their food or smack their knuckles with a spoon until they behaved.
Ellie cuddled into Devon’s side and read off of his menu. Chuck was relieved to see Devon was taking the pregnancy in stride and his being, well, awesome about it had calmed Ellie down considerably. He folded his menu shut and tossed it on the table, “Well, I’m doing the Butterscotch Rocks pancakes. Who said breakfast can’t contain caramel sauce? Not me!”
“I’m going for the double blueberry,” Devon said, “Twice the berries for awesome antioxidant action!”
“I’m sticking with the strawberry banana pancakes.” Ellie smiled at Chuck. They had a secret sibling pact when they went for breakfast with Devon; order the pancakes most like dessert to make him twitch. Strawberry banana pancakes were like eating an ice cream sundae only with pancakes instead of ice cream.
“You Bartowskis,” Devon said with good-natured affection, “I don’t know how you can eat sweet stuff for breakfast!” Ellie laughed and held her hand up for Chuck to high-five,
“You should have seen us last night with the cupcakes John baked,” she said. “They were filled with chocolate ganache!”
“Mmmm, ganache,” Chuck half-closed his eyes with remembered bliss.
“So, I guess you two are jogging with me today?” Devon waggled his eyebrows as if jogging were some sort of special treat. The Bartowski siblings slunk down in their seats,
“Actually, hold that thought,” Chuck said. “I have to jog over to the little boys’ room.”
“We’ll order for you, buddy.”
Chuck dodged waitresses as he made his way to the back of the restaurant. Did IHOP only employ small women? There always seemed to be a hot mug of coffee at waist height when he walked around in an IHOP. “Sorry, excuse me,” he dodged around Donna and slipped into the men’s’ room.
He really shouldn’t have been surprised to see John Casey leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest; not after what was said last night. Casey was smirking. Chuck felt his heart drop into his stomach,
“Um, hey Casey. Do you normally hang out in bathrooms, or is this a new thing?”
“Cute, Bartowski. With snappy banter like that I see why the ladies are all over you.”
Chuck stood there awkwardly, trying not to cross his legs, really needing to pee. “Okay then, I’m going to assume you’re a crazy person and this is how you spend your Saturday mornings. Now, if you’ll just leave, I need to pee.”
“It’s a free country.” Casey didn’t shift position. He didn’t even blink. If there were a device in the room that could measure awkwardness and embarrassment it would be registering in the red, for ‘Warning - Extreme Levels of Awkward’.
“So, turn around or something. I can’t go if you’re watching!”
Casey smiled, a not very nice smile, and shifted his stance so he was standing with his feet spread and hands on his hips, “My watching, and listening, doesn’t seem to stop you when you’re at home, Chuck.”
“This is about last night, isn’t it? I should make it perfectly clear that it was all in jest and even if you could make cheesecake and cream puffs and seven layer chocolate cakes... Um, you can’t make those, can you? Because If you can Ellie really would try to sell me off.”
“Niagara Falls, rushing rivers of water, drip drip drip.”
“You,” Chuck’s eyes narrowed, “Can’t possibly think that will work, can you?”
“Fwoooooshhhhhh....”
“Hnnnng,” Chuck danced in place for a moment then dashed over to a urinal. “I really, really hate you right now.”
“Aw, does that mean you don’t want to feel me up?” Suddenly Casey was at Chuck’s back and breathing in his ear, “Because I don’t mind barter for baked goods.”
“Aaaauagh!” Chuck jerked and swore as he splashed his pants. “Dude, urinal etiquette states dudes don’t stand so close!” Casey looked down and snickered. “DUDE! You don’t look at another man’s junk, either!”
“Got some on your pants there, Chuck,” Casey clicked his tongue against his teeth and gave Chuck a gentle cuff upside the head. “I’ve seen your junk plenty of times. Now finish your breakfast and get your ass over to Castle. We have a mission.”
“But today’s my day off!” Chuck looked around but Casey was already going out the door, “And what do you mean you’ve seen my junk plenty of times?” There was no answer. “My name’s John Casey," Chuck said in a gruff voice, "and I’m a big mean man who doesn’t get enough hugs.” The door swung open and Casey stuck his head in,
“Move it!”
At least he got to eat celebratory pancakes with his sister and her awesome fiancé before running off to make the world a little bit safer for any future nieces or nephews an Awesome-Bartowski union might produce.