A Knight in shining Nerd-Herd armour

(Chapter 4)

After three days, Morgan was getting worried. He hadn't heard anything from Chuck since speaking to him at the hospital, just after they had taken Casey into surgery. He had tried calling the hospital but the receptionist wouldn't tell him anything as he wasn't family. Eventually, he went to Ellie in the hope that she would know what was going on.

"They've got Casey's room under security lockdown," she told Morgan. "The press are all over this, wanting to talk to Chuck and John. Chuck has stayed there with him since they came in."

It had been a shock for her, too, seeing her brother come in with Casey and then hearing about what had happened in the bank. She could hardly believe that Chuck had done what everyone said he had; imagine, her brother standing up to armed robbers! She had checked on Casey's progress a couple of times with the doctors who were treating him and she assured Morgan that he was going to be alright. Seeing Morgan's worried face staring back at her, pleading silently, she promised to ask if he would be allowed to visit.

The following evening, Morgan, Anna, Jeff and Lester followed Ellie through the corridors, passing the two security guards standing outside the private room where Casey was. Sarah was already here, somewhere, but Ellie had seen her go off to get a cup of coffee a while ago.

"Go on in," she old them, informing the guards that they had permission and leaving to go back to work.

Morgan was the first in and, barely a few steps through the door, he stopped dead. Casey was half sitting up, with Chuck curled up beside him, both of them squeezed onto the single bed. Casey's arm was around Chuck's shoulders. They looked up as the door opened and Chuck almost fell off the bed in surprise. He quickly righted himself and began to move but Casey grabbed his arm to keep him where he was.

"What are you doing here?" Casey asked the visitors, looking suspicious.

Morgan moved further into the room, the others following and closing the door.

"We saw what happened on the news and we heard that you'd been hurt," Lester said. "We wanted to come and see you, make sure you were alright."

Casey frowned. "Why?"

Lester frowned back. "We were worried; you're our friend, Casey," he pointed out. "Even if you do treat us like idiots and yell at us all the time-" He paused as Anna glared at him. "I'll just shut up now."

Chuck saw the surprised look on Casey's face.

"Told you, you're one of us now," he murmured, smiling at the glare Casey gave him.

The Buy More contingent sat down and made themselves comfortable as Jeff and Lester fired questions at Chuck. They had heard the media's version of what happened in the bank but now they wanted all of the details. They discussed it as though it were a movie they'd just seen, Anna joining in every so often. Only Morgan stayed quiet. His gaze seemed fixed on Chuck and Casey's hands, where they were still clasped together in Chuck's lap as he perched on the edge of the bed.

"Morgan, are you OK?" he asked eventually.

The conversation stopped and all eyes focussed on Morgan.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Chuck?" he asked quietly, indicating to the two of them.

Chuck glanced at Casey, who nodded. It's your decision, his look said, but I'm OK with whatever you tell him. Chuck looked over at Morgan.

"John and I, we've… I mean, we, well…"

"I think he's trying to tell you that he and Casey are a couple," Sarah announced from the doorway as she came back into the room, handing Chuck a cardboard cup of vending-machine coffee.

The Buy More group stared at her first and then Chuck and Casey.

"How long has this been going on?" Morgan asked, looking hurt that he hadn't known.

"About three months."

Sarah picked up her coffee again and hustled Jeff, Lester and Anna outside, leaving the others to talk. Chuck waited until the door was closed before letting go of Casey's hand and going to sit in the chair next to Morgan.

"I should have told you."

Morgan just glared at him. "Three months! You're my best friend, Chuck; I tell you everything." He thought for a moment. "You told Sarah, your ex, but not me?"

Put like that, it did sound bad, but he couldn't explain it without telling Morgan all about the Intersect and the spy stuff. Sarah had needed to know about the change in Chuck and Casey's relationship for purely practical purposes. As one of his handlers, she had to know of anything that might possibly compromise him on a mission. If he were seeing if from the point of view of an outsider, as Morgan was to that part of his life, he'd be annoyed too.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I didn't know how you'd react."

Morgan shook his head in dismay. "Well, you should have trusted me enough to know that I'd have been happy for you," he said, getting up. "Casey, I'm glad you're OK." Then he left.

Chuck just stared at the closed door.

"You OK?" Casey asked, holding a hand out for Chuck to come back to the bed. "He'll come around, you'll see."

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Two weeks later, Chuck was still hoping. Casey had been allowed to return home, where Chuck had decided that he was moving in temporarily to look after him. Ellie hadn't questioned his announcement and Chuck had to assume that Morgan had spoken to her, told her about him and Casey. Unfortunately, all that he could do was assume as Morgan still wasn't returning his calls.

"Are you sure you'll be OK on your own?" Chuck asked.

Casey sighed. "For the hundredth time, Chuck, yes. It's not like I haven't been shot before."

Chuck balanced one hand against the back of the couch and leaned down to press a kiss to Casey's mouth.

"Fine, I'll go," he relented. "But you promise you'll call me if you need anything."

Half an hour later, Chuck walked into the Buy More to a round of applause. Pasting a smile on his face, he made his way to the locker rooms, just wishing they would all just treat him normally. They were treating him like some kind of hero but in reality he was tired of the media harassing him and the whispers and stares. This was the first time he had come into work since that day at the bank, taking time off until he was sure that Casey was alright.

The door opened and Morgan came in but he ignored Chuck, simply hanging up his jacket and leaving again.

"Morgan, can we talk? Please?"

"No."

Chuck spent the rest of the morning keeping out of everyone's way, down in the cage, doing repairs but by noon, he just wanted to get away from the Buy More. When he left for his lunch, he went across to the Orange Orange to find Sarah.

"Could you do me a favour?"

Sarah listened, agreeing.

Five minutes after Chuck returned to the store, a call came in for an installation, asking for him in particular to go and carry it out.

"Bartowski, call-out!" Big Mike handed him the address, the fake one that he had agreed with Sarah so that he'd know it wasn't a real call. Chuck nodded, collecting his gear and jacket and heading out to the car. As he drove out past the Orange Orange, he smiled in thanks to Sarah.

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"So, you're playing hooky?" Casey asked.

Chuck nodded, kicking off his shoes and settling himself on the couch next to Casey.

"Grimes is still acting like a jerk?"

"Yes, Morgan's still angry with me," Chuck said pointedly but Casey ignored him. He had no sympathy for Grimes, as Chuck seemed to. In Casey's mind it was pretty clear; he was upsetting Chuck and therefore he was being a jerk.

When said jerk appeared at the door some four hours later, Casey was sorely tempted to wring his scrawny little neck.

"What do you want?" he growled.

He had to bite back a satisfied smile as Morgan flinched at his tone but he stood his ground.

"I'm looking for Chuck," he said. "Ellie told me he was here."

Chuck appeared in the doorway behind Casey and Casey slid an arm around his waist. Chuck could see Morgan watching but he didn't comment.

"Can I come in?"

Casey glanced at Chuck and at his nod, stepped back. Morgan followed them to the lounge and sat down.

"Say what you came here to say, Grimes," Casey told him.

"You think I could talk to Chuck alone?"

Chuck felt Casey lean against his side in a gesture of defiance, and shook his head. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to him."

Morgan looked across at Casey and then back to Chuck.

"I'm sorry about how I reacted. I was just surprised," he said. "And maybe a bit hurt. I mean, this is huge- and I'm not saying I completely get it, not after Jill and then Sarah- and you never told me."

"I know."

"I'm your best friend, Chuck. I should have been the first to know, not the last."

Morgan hadn't said 'was' his best friend, hadn't said in the past tense. Chuck heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that they'd be alright now. He had realised at work today that the thought of losing his best friend scared him more than going after those guys in the bank had, coming a joint first with the thought of losing Casey.

"Next time, you'll be the first person I tell, I promise."

Casey frowned and pinched his arm, hard, making Chuck yelp. "Better not be a next time," he said.

"Relax, John, it was a figure of speech, not a declaration," Chuck told him, rolling his eyes and rubbing his arm.

Morgan watched the two of them together and wondered why he hadn't seen it earlier. He, like the other staff, had noticed that Chuck and Casey were friendly but that was all they had thought it to be. Friends.

"So," Chuck said. "We OK?"

Morgan smiled. "Of course." He looked over at Casey hopefully. "So, does this mean you're going to start being nice to me?"

Casey grunted. "Don't push it, Grimes."

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End.

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A.N- This was meant to stop at chapter 3, after the bank, but I couldn't resist adding this chapter on as well. I wanted to put Morgan's reaction in when he found out.