Chapter 5

A/N: Now, I know in the past what my having Jack gets involved has meant. This…this will be different. He’s still a hell of a dancer, just different

Disclaimer: I don’t own Chuck

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. It’s a famous quote from Mike Tyson in 1987. He was the heavyweight champion of the world. His punching power was ridiculous. He was winning fights in seconds instead of rounds. And that quote from him was used constantly in the following years. Chuck Bartowski had a plan. What he hadn’t counted on was Jack Burton.

Chuck had decided he was going to leave the farm alone. What in the world did he know about anything to do with a farm, or building, or even being outdoors really? He was a nerd. He didn’t like his choice…but it was the only choice he thought that made logical sense, hence, his plan.

Jack Burton wouldn’t call himself or his daughter Luddites, but….he did prefer things, “old school,” and his daughter….well…Friendster wasn’t exactly the newest piece of technology in town.

However Jack was also practical, and he knew that how the world worked. He knew he needed to know about online banking, cash apps, and notifications. He had taught himself everything he needed to know. When his phone gave him a notification Monday morning, he was quite sure what it was from.He was pleased with himself as he checked his banking app and saw a deposit by the Farmer’s Market. He had been right about Charlie. The young man had taken a shine to not only his daughter, but at what he and his daughter were doing. He didn’t know the details of Charlie’s story…but that young man was the sort of person that Jack wanted to help. Someone who thought things were out of his reach.

Jack’s mind had been working all weekend on what to do. Several times he had to remind himself this wasn’t a con. He was gathering information, but not to con Charlie, but to present the young man with a plan…an offer…one he couldn’t refuse.

Not in the “you’re gonna find a horse-head in your bed if you don’t do what I say,” way. But one that spoke to Charlie, and the things Charlie found important…and the fact it was clear Charlie was attracted to Jack’s daughter didn’t hurt one bit.

Jack told Sarah he had some things to take care of in town, and headed toward the truck. He didn’t notice the look on her face, or even think about how he had barely left the farm since they had moved in, and never by himself. He was feeling alive. It wasn’t about conning this time, but coming up with a foolproof plan. He loved a foolproof plan. That was the excitement. That was the rush. The money…that was just keeping score. Out thinking everyone, out witting everyone…that was where he felt alive.

A quick search on his phone that weekend had found where Charlie worked, that’s how confident Jack was in what the young man was going to do with the avocados. Jack was sitting in the parking lot, an hour before the store open when he saw his target pull up and park his car. Jack watched him get out, look at the Buy More, look over at Large Mart, and then start to walk that direction. Jack got out of his truck and followed.

He watched Charlie go inside Large Mart and take pictures of tools and their costs. Then took pictures of lumber and the cost. Jack grinned. Charlie was trying to figure out how much it would cost to rebuild the buildings…what Sarah had been working on. He wondered if their costs would agree, and if they didn’t what the differences were, and how the two would resolve them.

Jack didn’t know exactly what had happened to his daughter in the CIA, but from the small things she said, he knew that she didn’t think her former partner respected her opinion. In fifteen minutes of meeting Charlie and watching him with Sarah, it was clear Charlie respected Sarah’s opinion, Jack’s opinion, and anyone who actually made a common sense argument.

Jack could tell Charlie was smart…just not smart, but SMART. But he didn’t think he was the know-it-all that most with that level of intellect did. Charlie listened to others, and appreciated where people pointed out flaws in his plans.

Through-out the day that fact was shown over and over. As he worked with what seemed to be the craziest people Jack had ever seen, he watched and listened as Charlie listened to his co-workers about things that could be improved. Now some of those were nuts, and Charlie smiled, and said he would look into it, being polite. But when there was a nugget of brilliance in that insanity, he thanked them, went to his boss about how to do something different, and gave the credit to the worker, and did not take it for himself.

Jack could not get over how kind he was. He watched Charlie listen to a child talk non-stop about his favorite dinosaur while he fixed a phone for a mother. And just when Jack thought the mother was about to die from embarrassment of her child, Charlie asked the child a follow up question about the dinosaur. The look the mother gave him of gratitude…and the fact Charlie didn’t take advantage of said look…Jack shook his head and grinned. This was a good kid.

It was clear Charlie had ideas. When there were no customers, Charlie was working on something. And when Charlie was called away from the counter, Jack made his way over, looked at the paper, and turned to leave. He smiled getting in his truck. Charlie was writing out a cost analysis of rebuilding the buildings on the farm. He didn’t know who Randy was, but it looked like to Jack he was an electrician. He went home, lost in his own world, coming up with the perfect way to approach Charlie the next day, and missed his daughter studying him.

The next morning, Jack told Sarah he had some business in town, got in the truck, and left. He was caught up in his thoughts, but even if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have noticed his CIA trained daughter tailing him. He got to the Buy More, waited for Charlie to get there, for it to open, and went inside. He walked up to the Nerd Herd desk, and waited for Charlie to look up at him. “Take a walk with me,” he said to the taller, curly-haired man. Charlie nodded, stood, and followed him. They got away from everyone, standing in front of appliances so it looked like Charlie was talking to a customer.

“I got a notification from the bank Monday,” Jack began. He couldn’t help but grin as he saw the look on Chuck’s face. “It’s okay, I knew you would sell those avocados. You see, Charlie,” he said, putting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “I think you feel the same way my daughter and I do. You think the life you want is out of reach. You think you’re stuck and there’s nothing you can do.”

“Sir,” Charlie began.

“Let me finish,” Jack insisted. “You and her, you make quite the pair. I talked to Mrs. Lewis. She told me how you two were. A well-oiled unit she said. She’s great getting things done, and you,” he squeezed Charlie’s shoulder. “You think outside the box. You think about getting things done in ways no one ever has, and the two of you working together…the amount of people you could help…come work for us.”

“Sir,” Charlie began again.

“I know, you think there’s no money to hire you, but here’s the thing, the way the inheritance worked, there’s a separate pool of money to hire people that aren’t family,” Jack told him. “It was probably to keep me from doing something with it I shouldn’t, and we both know…I probably would have.”“That’s great but-” Chuck tried again.

“You and my daughter…you’re perfect partners,” Jack said and grinned as the young man’s face began to pinken. “Come work for us. We’ll pay you fairly, it will be hard work, but I promise you, and I mean this promise. It will be worth it. You and her together…you’ll be unstoppable.” He watched as Charlie looked…almost defeated, and Jack felt confused. “Okay, now what did you want to say. I’m listening.”Charlie had a sorrowful look on his face. He simply pointed behind Jack, and that’s when he felt it. The eyes boring in to him.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth

“She’s behind me, isn’t she?” Jack asked, but he was already nodding, knowing the answer.Charlie nodded once. “Yes, Sir.”Jack turned, and saw his daughter with a thundercloud on her face.

See, Jack Burton had a plan. What he hadn’t counted on was Sarah Walker.

}o{

When Jack had walked in, Chuck had finally put into words into his own head what he had been thinking. The past few days and what he had been dealing with after meeting Sarah and Jack had awoken something in him he thought was broken. He had cared about other people since Stanford. He had tried to do the right thing since Stanford. But what he hadn’t done was go out of his comfort zone or safe space.

He could have found any number of jobs with or without his degree, but to do so would have made him venture into the real world. He didn’t want that. Out there lay…people…expectations…new relationships…something he didn’t know if he were capable of. At the Buy More, it was safe…as long as he ate nothing in the crisper in the fridge.

He was jealous of Jack and Sarah.

Both of them had dealt with things much worse than his issues at Stanford and Jill. Unlike him, they were doing something about it, they were making changes. Trying to make the world better.

He really wanted to be a part of it. He wanted to start over. He wanted to learn to trust people again.

Sarah had been screwed by Bryce. He shook his head trying to keep the double entendre out of his head. Instead of retreating like Chuck had, she went back to her father. Her and her father’s relationship were nothing like Chuck and Ellie’s. While Chuck and Ellie had done nothing but support each other, Sarah had been taken advantage of by her father. He had done a little digging each night on Jack and his past, and had found Jack had been accompanied by a little blond girl in many of his schemes when Sarah was a child.

And now here she was, back and trying to fix things, and help others. And what was Chuck doing? Hiding.

So when Jack showed up, Chuck thought it was the universe giving him one last shot. Chuck was trying to figure out how to ask Jack to join him and his daughter as Jack began his speech.What Jack hadn’t seen was Sarah walk in, and see them. Chuck had watched her set her jaw and began to stride toward them. Chuck was listening, and somehow heard the words, but walking toward HIM with purpose, was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

She wasn’t in some red…or salmon dress. She wasn’t in some stupid Wienerlicious costume. She was simply dressed in sensible boots for working on a farm. Blue jeans, a white tee shirt with a flannel shirt over it, probably to protect her arms from the sun, and a baseball hat with her pony tail pulled through the back. He thought it was a Detroit Tigers baseball cap, which also made him wonder did she drive a red Ferrari 308 GTS, but he shoved that thought to the side because he thought his brain would explode if she were also a private eye. He didn’t know if he had seen someone more beautiful in his entire life.

She walked up just as Jack was talking about Mrs. Lewis and the money Jack could use to pay Chuck, and Chuck saw her face turn into a thundercloud. He understood. For her father to insinuate the two of them together…he completely understood.

As Jack turned, Chuck wished for the earth to open up and just swallow him whole, because the rejection he was about to get, even though it wasn’t his fault, was going to be absolutely humiliating.

“I had one condition on coming back here,” Sarah began her voice low. Chuck thought the temperature had dropped to negative numbers in the room. He had never been more frightened for a human being in his life than he was for Jack. Sometime later, he would also admit he found the whole thing extremely hot, and would spend many a hour thinking about that.

“No. Cons,” she continued. “And here you are, trying to rope him in…another account to pay him.” She scoffed. “Dad, I trusted you.”

Jack glanced at Chuck who didn’t have the ability at that time to form words. He sighed, knowing it was going to be his word, and he knew what his word held in his daughter’s world right now.

“Darlin’, I can explain,” Jack began.

“You don’t leave the farm by yourself the entire time, and the first time you do, is to come con him?” Sarah asked. “I’m in charge of the money. I know how much we have. I don’t even get how this one works, which is on me. I should have known. God, Dad, I TRUSTED you.”

Jack turned to Chuck. “Sorry, Charlie,” he said simply. He turned, gestured toward the door, and the two began to walk away.

Chuck knew, right there, the rest of his life hung in the balance.“Sarah,” he tried to say, the words freezing in his throat. He cleared it. “Sarah.” She stopped and turned toward him. “He didn’t con me.” He was watching Sarah, but couldn’t help notice the pride on Jack’s face. Chuck gathered himself. “He…he came to thank me, and said I reminded him of you and your dad. That…that I think my dreams…everything…are just out of reach.”

Sarah didn’t say anything, she just watched him.

Chuck swallowed and continued. “I…I got kicked out of Stanford for something I didn’t do. I almost had my degree…anyway, I got kicked out five years ago, and I’ve been hiding here.” He took a deep breath and continued, on a roll. For the first time in his life he felt like he was telling the story to someone who wasn’t family or friend, but also cared. “And my girlfriend…the person who…who I loved. Who I thought I would marry and raise super smart kids and let them wear capes and be superheroes…she didn’t believe me. She said she had cheated on me.”

He looked around. “So, I came here…and hid. I hid from the world. I hid from real people, real relationships. I hid from getting hurt.” He was silent and then continued, his voice much softer. “I hid from life.”

He set his jaw, his eyes glassy. “And then…then my sister asked me to go get some avocados, and I meet two people who life…life hasn’t been the best to either, has it?” Sarah shook her head in confirmation. “And I see them trying. I see them trying something that is clearly out of their wheelhouse…and yet…isn’t.” Sarah looked over at her dad, and started to say something. He gave her a smile and shook his head. They both turned back to Chuck.

“For the first time since Stanford, I took a chance. I went to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and sold all the left over avocados, put the money in your farm’s bank account and…and it felt right.”Sarah eyes were studying him, but it wasn’t someone looking for an opportunity to bully him or make fun of him. Chuck knew those looks. This…this was something he wasn’t sure what it was. He had an idea, but that…that wasn’t possible.

“And I found myself making a phone call to an electrician and pricing wood and tools and…and I found myself wanting to be a part of something, and I never have before…at least not since Stanford,” Chuck finished. “I want to…I want to help.”

“Chuck,” Sarah began. She turned to her dad. “There’s another account?”

“Yep,” Jack replied. “And don’t worry, Darlin’, you have every right to think what you did. I should have told you, I just…I got caught up in my plans.” She raised an eyebrow. “I know…I know…old habits.”

“I understand those,” Sarah said. “I may have leapt to a conclusion.”

“May have,” Jack muttered. Sarah gave him a look. “As I said, given my history…fair.”

“I’m sorry,” Chuck blurted out. They both looked at him. “I…I sold those avocados without telling you. I started making phone calls and trying to figure things out…and it wasn’t my place.”

“You should see his spreadsheet,” Jack said to Sarah.

“A spreadsheet?” Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow and turning to Chuck. “What time do you get off work today?”

“Five,” Chuck answered, no idea where this was going.

“Let me go review some paperwork with my dad…not that I don’t trust him,” Sarah began.

“Trust, but verify,” Jack said to Chuck, making him grin. Sarah gave her dad a look and both men sobered quickly.

“And then, why don’t you and I have dinner to talk about it?” Sarah finished.

“Just the two of you?” Jack asked. Sarah turned to him. “Which I think is smart, because, I seem to just muck things up. Will you look at that…” he said, looking at…well, probably nothing, and just walking off to get away from the two.

“Sorry about him,” Sarah said to Chuck, shaking her head as Jack walked away. “He’s…I don’t know what he is now. He’s not the same…but he is…but he isn’t.”

“Prison?” Chuck asked.

“No, not in the way you mean,” Sarah said. “He’s…I don’t know…my mom talked to him while he was inside, and it changed something in him. Which, she tried to talk to him for years but…it didn’t do any good.”

“Probably because he had to listen and couldn’t go do something to tune her out,” Chuck said. Sarah looked at him. “Sorry-”

“No,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “That’s…insightful, and probably true.” She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts back that had been through the wringer the past few hours. “So, where’s a good place to meet for dinner?”Chuck couldn’t help but grin. “So, how do you feel about Mexican?”

A/N: I kinda think she likes Mexican. Just sayin.