Chapter 8
A/N: Apparently I have updated too much for fanfiction.net so you might want to go back and make sure you’re caught up. Go on, I’ll wait. (Checks watch) Hey, welcome back. So we have Chenny, to the delight of most of you, and now we are getting into the crux of our heroes problems…one Jack Burton. There is a little more language her than usual, no more than the chapter I warned you about in Truffaut, but more than I usually do, but when you get there, I think you’ll see why. Sit back and enjoy Chapter 8, The Joker.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Chuck, and no one, I mean no one, has ever called me Maurice.
April 15, 2004
Emma and John sat at the bar watching Chuck and Jenny in the kitchen. They worked together, laughing, shoulder bumping each other, but they were a team. Casey rolled his eyes for at least the fourth time that day, and Emma grinned. Casey grunted, and shook his head. These two were going to be the death of him. What was supposed to be an easy job, had turned into something he really wasn’t prepared for.
Chuck and Jenny making breakfast had become a tradition over the past few weeks. Since that night they spent together, they had become a couple in every sense of the word. Jenny had moved out of her room and now stayed with Chuck. Emma watched them and was happy for her daughter. It was obvious the two were crazy about each other.
“Today’s going to be a big one,” Casey said grinning. Emma gave him a look. “Moron made a reservation at the Bellagio for the tournament.” Emma was still confused. “Your daughter has a house there.” Emma’s eyes got wide.
“We have to say something to them,” Emma said. Casey shook his head.
“He’s crap at communicating and needs to learn, Emma,” Casey said. “He needs this, they need this. They’ll get through it, they just need to learn to talk to each other.”
“Do you two need some time?” Jenny asked. They looked back toward the kitchen and saw the younger couple was watching them, amused.
“Got your plans finalized?” Casey asked.
“Yeah, we’re heading down tomorrow, and I’ve got the hotel room reserved,” Chuck said, turning back to concentrate on the eggs, missing the look Jenny gave him, but he felt it. He turned to her, seeing the look on her face. “Did I do something wrong?” Jenny shook her head and walked out of the room. Chuck turned toward Casey. Emma backhanded him.
“Christ, Bartowski, go talk to her,” Casey said. “Talk and listen,” he growled. Chuck nodded and went off after her. “Guess I gotta make my own eggs,” he groused. Chuck walked down the hall and noticed her old bedroom door was shut. He knocked on it.
“I think I’ve done something,” Chuck said through the door. “What that something is, I don’t really know. But I’d really like to talk about it, and apologize, but I have to know what it is I did.” The door opened and she was standing there, eyes read and tears streaked down her face, evidence of her crying. “What did I do?” he asked softly.
“Are you ashamed of me?” she asked. Chuck’s heart nearly broke.
“NO! Why would you think that? I mean you can make your own hotel reservations if it’s that important,” Chuck said, taking her hands. Jenny stared at him.
“Why would I stay in a hotel room when I have a house?” The look on Chuck’s face….he dropped her hands, closed his eyes, placed his hand covering his eyes in shame and banged his head against the doorframe. “Don’t do that, you’ll hurt yourself!” She put her hands on his shoulders, pushing him away from the door frame, looking him in his eyes. There was pain there, and tears were forming.
“I am the world’s biggest idiot,” he said. “I didn’t even think about you having a place to stay there, or anything. I-” Jenny put her fingers on his lips.
“I assumed the worst,” Jenny said softly. “I just assumed you didn’t want to be seen with me, or stay with me.” Chuck shook his head. She took her fingers off his lips and pulled him in. “I suck at this stuff.”
“Obviously, I’m a master,” Chuck said. Jenny laughed into his chest where he was holding her. “I’ll cancel the hotel room, that is if you want me to…Let me start over, where would you like to stay, and can I stay with you?”
“I want to be where ever you are, so yes,” Jenny replied. “Staying at my place would be cost efficient, but it’s not on site. It’s not far away though.”
“Oh, for the love of all that is holy, cancel the damn room, Bartowski!” Casey yelled down the hall. Jenny grabbed Chuck’s hand and pulled him in her room.
“What are you doing?” Chuck asked.
“Upsetting Casey and making me happy,” she said grinning. Chuck just grinned as he shut the door behind him.
}o{
April 21
Jenny was sitting at a cash game, mad. She had played the tournament perfect but lost on a draw out on the river. There was an old saying, “That’s poker,” but she wanted to beat someone. The thing she loved about the WPT championship was the 25k buy-in. Amateurs were rare with such a large buy-in, so it became more about skill than luck, but poker did have an element of luck, and today wasn’t her day. The good news was she had won back her buy-in at the cash game, and that’s when he cellphone buzzed. She picked it up, worried. She made a face as she read the text and her worries were confirmed. She cashed out, and went to find her boyfriend…boyfriend, God she loved that term…she was afraid that wasn’t all she loved about her situation, but she didn’t know how to deal with that right now. Some of the poker media saw her heading toward him, and she didn’t even care, she caught him in a hug, returning the one he gave her earlier when she busted out.
“Set over set,” he mumbled.
“Damn,” she replied. “Tournament poker, that’s how you want to go broke.” He nodded. “I’m winning this damn thing next year.”
“No, you’re not,” he replied. She pulled away and looked at him, confused. Chuck grinned. “I’m winning this tournament next year.”
“No way, Bartowski.”
“Yes way, Burton,” Chuck replied, grinning. “I’ll make you a bet.” She grinned, interested in his terms. “The loser, which will be you.” She snorted. “Has to make the other one happy for the rest of their life.”
“I like chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast,” she replied, grinning.
“Well, I’m going to have to get you a treadmill if you somehow win,” he replied, with a smirk. She made a face like she was affronted and punched him in the arm.
“How do you do it?” she asked. “How do you keep knowing exactly what to say to make me feel so much better.”
“Let’s go home,” Chuck said.
“Yeah, let’s just get our stuff and get home,” she replied. Chuck just looked at her. She grinned. “Yes, wherever you are is my home, and I don’t think of Vegas as home anymore, are you happy?”
“Lady, I am freaking ecstatic!” They were both laughing when they left the casino.
}o{
August 29th, 2004
Jenny was signing autographs before the second day of the tournament. The past few months had been amazing and flown by. Her and Chuck had spent most of May in Las Vegas playing in the World Series of Poker and all the cash games that accompanied it. She didn’t cash in the Main Event this time, too many amateurs taking lucky shots and eventually getting her. The two of them made quite a bit of money between them. Chuck cashed in two limit WSOP events, and Jenny cashed in three different events, one limit, one no limit, and once in Omaha….Chuck was impressed with that one.
Things really picked up in June. The episodes of WPT aired that month on the multiple FOX Sports networks, and Chenny-mania went into overdrive with the new viewers. The WSOP began to air on ESPN around the same time, and though they weren’t in any of the events shown, the couple was showcased several times for a few minutes in each episode. Jenny couldn’t blame the network, it was all about ratings, and the couple had proven to be a ratings draw.
Chuck had been working in all of his free time to try and find Jack. He used every trick he knew, but couldn’t find anything, which didn’t surprise Jenny. She knew he went old school which meant low-tech. Casey was having a little luck, but they all thought the best shot of finding him came from them being seen, either on TV, or any of the multiple magazine pictures. She signed one last autograph, and headed toward the tables, when a voice caught her by surprise.
“I always knew you’d be better than me, Darlin,” the drawl came from beside her. She whipped around.
“Where have you been?” she asked, taking his arm and dragging him off to a private corner. “We have been looking everywhere for you.”
“Hey, Angel, I’m fine, I didn’t mean to worry you,” he said, with a smirk. Jenny’s face turned cold.
“Worry? You worry me? I don’t think you understand, DAD,” she said, stressing the dad. Jack realized something was off. “Because of your bullshit, Mom nearly got hurt. They have been extorting me, and using her as the leverage. They go in, pay off what you conned, and I have to pay it back, plus the vig, or Mom….well, I’ve paid it off.” Jack looked shocked.
“Kid, who would do that?” Jack asked.
“Jimmy Sykes,” she replied. Jack’s mouth dropped.
“That’s not possible,” Jack muttered.
“Trust me, Dad, not only is it possible, it’s been happening,” she said, anger covering her face.
“I get it, you’re mad because I’ve been messing with your money,” he began.
“MY MONEY!?” she exploded. “Dad, it’s MOM! They threatened to hurt MOM!”
“Okay, I get it, I just can’t believe Jimmy would do me that way,” he said, shaking his head. Jenny gave him an inquisitive look. “See, when I need something for a con, or a getaway, or whatever, I’ve been using Jimmy.” Jenny threw her hands up in the air.
“Are you frickin kidding me!?” she said, trying not to scream. “You’ve been leading that lunatic to each of your cons? The guy is double dipping! How much was the last score?” she asked, realizing this one was going to be bad.
“One mil,” he said softly. Jenny was beside herself.
“You gotta pay it back,” she said. Jack looked away. “You’ve blown it, haven’t you, blackjack, the ponies, what is it this time?”
“Hey, I get it, I’m screwing up your good con you’ve got goi- hurk!” Jack lost the ability to speak because his daughter had grabbed his coat and threw him against the wall, holding him there.
“Chuck Bartowski is no con, you selfish son of a bitch!” she spat out. “I love that man, and he cares about me. He’s treated me the way a man should, something you could take lessons from.” She felt a hand on her arm, and she eased up, letting her father go.
“Actually he loves her, he just hasn’t found the right time to tell her,” Chuck said, having seen some of the conversation, but deciding to intervene before his girlfriend whipped her father’s ass in front of God and everybody. Jenny just stared at him. “I think you might want to get out of town, Jack. Out of the country even, because I don’t think anyone’s covering for you anymore.”
Jack sighed, and turned to his daughter.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said. “We can go to Europe and make a ton.”
“Which part of I love him are you having trouble with?” she asked, her eyes blazing. Chuck was really worried she was going to deck him.
“Kid, we can’t fall in love,” Jack said, like it was the gospel.
“We aren’t the same person,” she said. She held her hand out. “Good-bye, Jack.” The words she chose hit him like a ton of bricks. He took her hand.
“Angel,” he began.
“Good-bye, Jack,” she whispered. Jack shook her hand, nodded at Chuck, and left. “Come on,” she said, tears in her eyes. “We need to go play cards.”
“I’m about out of chips, so I think I’ll just let them blind me off,” Chuck said. Jenny gave him a grateful smile. “Want to go home?”
“You really love me?” Jenny asked. Chuck tilted his head and smiled at her.
“You just threw your father out of your life, and your question to me is do I really love you?” Chuck asked. Jenny put her fists on her hips and looked him in the eye, not paying attention to the cameras starting to gather. “Jenny Burton, I love you so much I am scared. Scared of a life without you in it. Scared of not being enough for you. But mostly scared of screwing it up and pushing too hard.” Jenny wrapped her arms around him.
“Chuck, I love you, and you know you are my home. You can’t push too far,” she replied.
“Well,” he began. “I guess there’s only one thing left to do,” he said, but noticed a look of terror in her eyes.
“There is something you should know,” she said. “I realized what my father said, and thought, and I’m wondering if others don’t feel the same way. This is my mess, and I’m not dragging you into it, that’s why you can ask, and push, but until I finish with all of this…” Chuck nodded. He didn’t look happy, but nodded. “Do you understand why?”
“I understand that you think it’s important, and that you want to fix it yourself, I don’t agree, but I don’t have to either, because it’s what you want,” Chuck replied.
“Chuck, you have to understand, every man in my life, except you has been trying to control me, but I want to control my life,” she said. “I know what you’re thinking, hell, I’ve been dreaming about it, but I can’t let you do this until this mess is settled.”
“Okay, then how about this, we try and fix it with Casey’s help and contacts, and then I pay off whatever, and you just pay me back?” Chuck suggested. Jenny shook her head. Chuck sighed. She took his hands.
“I love you, but I need to go into this right,” she said. Chuck looked at her.
“You know I would do anything for family and I consider you family?”
“You know I protect my family, and I consider you family,” she replied, grinning.
“Can I still give you any winnings?” he asked. She nodded. “Then, let’s make a deal, we have until the end of this WPT season to get this done, if we don’t let me pay it off, and we’ll keep working together until we do.” She looked at him. “Wouldn’t that be enough time to prove to who ever you need to that this,” he said pointing to the two of them. “That this is real.” She grinned at him.
“What happens when we pay it off?” She asked. Chuck grinned.
“I finish that line of thinking I was having earlier,” he replied smirking.
“Oh really,” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t mean right then, obviously.”
“Why not?”
“You might have to do it in front of everyone,” she replied. Chuck nodded.
“You’re right,” he said. He smile fell a little. “I hate it when people do those stunts and put public pressure on others.” Jenny smirked.
“Chuck, if you asked me by myself, or in front of thousands, the answer would be the same, yes,” she said. “IF it’s not paid off by the end of the this WPT season, I’ll let you pay it off.”
“Gee, thanks,” he said, smirking. She gave him a playful shove.
“So now what?” she asked.
“Well, I guess we need to get back and get with Casey to get the ball rolling,” he said, scratching the back of his head. He blew out a sigh.
“Are we okay?” she asked, worried. Chuck grinned at her.
“Jenny, I’m not going anywhere,” Chuck said, gently kissing her, that’s when he noticed the cameras flashing. He pulled away. “Okay, I lied, we are getting out of here.” She laughed, put her hand on his chest and took a deep breath.
“Thank you, for being here for me through all of this,” she said.
“My pleasure, Jenny. My pleasure.”
A/N: I know it’s short, but I had to get to a certain place in this chapter, and now that I’m there, all I can do is add the next one, which could take days, or just stop here. I figure something is better than nothing. Hope you enjoyed it…take care…see you soon…til next time.
DC