Lieutenant Charlie Bartowski

Chapter 2 – Charlie versus Bryce

Los Angeles – 2009

You know how when you first wake up you're a little disoriented? Well you get over that really fast when you have to wake up at five in the morning to a five-year-old jumping on your bed.

"Mommy, wake up!" She giggled sweetly.

I opened one eye and looked at Christine. Her curls bounced with her and she smiled infectiously. She's a miracle so smart and so sweet and reminds me more of her father everyday. She's the small piece of him I will have with me always.

I attended his funeral.

I didn't have the heart to tell Christine. She was four at the time, she would not have understood even if I did.

It would have been futile anyway because he was magically resurrected about two years ago. Ironically, he didn't cheat on me and he was the reason I got expelled in the first place. And he's a spy.

Yeah, you heard right, my Bryce Larkin is a spy.

But, he is determined to make things right between us.

A bit optimistic, if you ask me. And he wants to be there for Christine – boy was he surprised – and me. Between missions he has been turning up. He always brings Christine a story, a smile, and something to hold her over until his next visit – a bribe. In the little time she's known him she's charmed the socks off him and vice versa. She loves her dad.

He loves her so much and he won't give up winning me back. Or trying to get into my pants.

"Mommmmmmmy!" Christine shouted and giggled while bouncing on the bed.

I reached up and grabbed her arm and pulled her under the covers. "Mommy!" She shrieked with laughter, wiggling as I held her tightly.

"No jumping." I said a tired voice. "Sleep." I pleaded and snuggled into her.

"But the sun's up, Mommy. When the sun's up you make breakfast." Christine demanded and I groaned.

I released her and she bounded from my room calling behind her, "C'mon Mommy."

"I'm up. I'm up." I said getting up and pulled on a pair of faded jeans and Beatles t-shirt and walked through the hallway and down the stairs, into the living room passing the front door and went into the kitchen where my little monster was waiting for me.

"So," I yawned and stretched. "What do you want for breakfast, sweetie?" I asked.

"Eggs and toast and bacon and waffles and pancakes and…"

"How about I make you pancakes and bacon?" I suggested.

She pursed her lips, "Chocolate chip pancakes?" she negotiated.

"Yep."

"YAY!" She said excitedly.

After the pancakes were done Christine devoured hers and then skipped into the living room and watched some cartoons, while I worked on the dishes.

The phone rang.

I answered it balancing it on my shoulder to use both of my hands washing the dishes. "Hello," I said pleasantly into the phone.

"Catharine Barnes?"

I work for the FBI and work with Intel for the CIA. I am sent on consults with CIA and NSA agents, despite my protests… I'm not a high enough rank to take charge of what I can do at work. I Hate dealing with them, but I can at least be civil when I get shot at constantly by the people that are supposed to be working toward the same purpose – keeping our nation safe. Funny FBI are considered the stupid ones for not shooting and asking questions later, but I find detainment in a cell for a number of years is worse punishment then dying quickly.

Really I'm Charlotte Bartowski, but the alias is necessary.

Catherine Barnes is a successful photojournalist, independently wealthy, and currently has a fiancé and no children. My alias protects Christine, enough reason right there.

"This is she," I replied scrubbing the pan.

"What do you suppose your best work was this year, Ms. Barnes?"

"My Christmas shots in the French countryside."

That would be a code. Whatever personal question I get I always manage to put a word that starts with 'Chris' in it as a tribute to Christine.

"Sleeper cell has been infiltrated unsuccessfully by inexperienced agent. Mission terminated, Lieutenant Commander. FULCRUM have officials in our offices. There is a team in Burbank, California that have been working successfully against FULCRUM it is in your best interest to become part of that team. You will be contacted by General Beckman on this."

"When do I leave?"

"The team will be coming to you. Once they arrive you will leave in less than 24 hours."

Then someone knocked on the door.

"Mommy! There are strangers at the door!" Christine yelled over the noise of the running water, which I turned off as soon as I heard what she said and ran to the door.

"Thanks Chrissie," Bryce said sarcastically.

Christine giggled. "Not you Daddy. Of course I know you."

"Hey Green Eyes." Bryce was standing on my front porch with a blonde woman and a dark haired burly man who looked vaguely familiar.

"Hey Bryce. Please don't tell me you're on the team?"

"Just for this mission. Nice way to greet someone by the way." He said walking into the house.

"Yeah, just walk in," I called over my shoulder.

"You can come on in." I said politely to the blonde and the man beside her.

"You're the Lieutenant Commander, we were told to come and retrieve from Los Angeles?" The burly man scoffed.

"Shh! She picks up on everything." I glared at him.

"Hi," Christine said to the unfamiliar people. She smiled a little smile, "I'm Christine."

"Hi, Christine, I'm Sarah." Sarah squatted down and shook her small hand and smiled.

Christine looked at the man and then at me and shrugged her shoulders. Not knowing what to make of his rudeness at ignoring her.

I looked down at Christine. "Hey baby, why don't you go upstairs and watch those cartoons in Mommy's bed and turn up the volume as loud as you want." Christine smiled.

"Okay, Mommy."

But before she could make it to the stairs Bryce snatched her up and swung her into his arms. She giggled, "What? No kiss for, Daddy?"

Christine became all business now. It was so cute, her being serious and giving her father a stern look. "Daddy, your working. I'm not gonna bother you." Then she lowered her voice and wrinkled her nose, "And there are strangers here," she glanced Sarah and the man.

Bryce rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek and then kissed her nose. She squealed and tried to push his face away. "Nice Chrissie." Bryce said with a smile and put her down.

She bounded up the stairs.

When I heard the blaring television upstairs I got back to business. "Okay first off, never say anything in front of Christine, my daughter. Kids repeat everything, not on purpose. But ignorance is bliss."

"Christine's a good kid. She won't mention anything she isn't supposed to, but I don't want to risk her slipping to the wrong person." Bryce put in.

"Real name's Charlotte by the way."

I shook Sarah's hand, "Sarah Walker," she said with a smile.

I took the man's hand, "And you're John Casey. You shot me a couple years back. You know you really need to learn to control that temper of yours." He clenched his jaw.

"So you're Catharine Barnes?" Sarah asked.

"I'm Catharine Barnes to protect Christine from the unsavory sort that I have to deal with in my line of work. I've been involved in this since I got a job in the FBI after doing tours in Afghanistan and Iraq after I had Christine."

"But why destroy your cover at this point?"

"Bryce already knows who I am, obviously. And Burbank is my home. If I go anywhere my cover is blown."

I walked into the kitchen and started the coffee. We're all gonna have coffee and sit down to discuss what will be going down.

"Is this relationship between you and Larkin going to complicate things Walker?"

"No," She said. "Bryce and I have been over for a while."

"It wouldn't matter anyway Sarah. Bryce and I aren't together. You don't have to explain yourself." I smiled and handed her coffee.

"I'm working on winning you back." Bryce smirked.

"I'm sure he's trying." Sarah laughed.

"You have no idea."

"Must be a little annoying." She said.

"Sometimes."

Down to business.

"Okay, Sarah. What's going on here? What is it we're dealing with at this point? And how far have you all gotten to taking down FULCRUM?"

"We can into it once we are back at Castle in Burbank."

"Fair enough." I replied

"But I need one answer first before we get on our merry way, Bryce."

He looked at me innocently. "Bryce you don't have the intersect stuck in his head. You were an idiot and sent it to somebody."

"What?" Bryce feigned ignorance.

"And let me think," I tapped my chin. "Professor Flemming, subliminal encoding, right? That's what the intersect is. And the good professor was killed a little while back. Let's see who else was in that class, that you were real close to? Someone you trusted? Someone you knew was smart?"

"Charlotte…"

"Please tell me you didn't?"

"All right I won't tell you."

"Why would you do that to him?" I grabbed the front of his shirt.

Bryce wrapped his fingers around my wrists gently. "He's fine."

"And in constant danger."

"God, you're being a hypocrite right now."

"I have the right to worry about my brother!" I pulled my wrists from his hands. I poked him the chest. "I have to worry about you and now I have to worry about him too. Thanks a lot Bryce."

"Your brother?" Casey asked.

"Chuck Bartowski."

"Fantastic." Casey muttered. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, we gonna get this show on the road or what?"

— — —

12:15 pm

Sarah seems like a good agent and a cool person. She's not as arrogant and annoying as most CIA agents I've been involved with.

Casey… Asshole is the only word coming to mind. But he's a good agent, a bit cruel. But that comes with the profession of killing people. It happens a lot in our lines of work.

Then again Evie and Danny were great, too. Evie had to be one of my best friends for a while. After Evie was killed Danny dropped off the face of the earth for a while. I haven't spoken to him in years to be honest.

I was driving Bryce, Christine and me back to Burbank.

"So you save the world, Daddy?" Bryce smiled in the passenger seat Christine as she leaned forward in her booster seat.

"All the time, Angel."

"Really?" She giggled.

"Yep."

"But Daddy, that pretty blonde lady...uhm Sarah, right?"

"Right," Bryce confirmed.

"And the scary dude, beat up the bad guys too?"

"That's right." Bryce smiled when Christine said 'scary dude.'

"And Mommy too. She beats 'em up?"

"I only give 'em what they deserve, honey." I replied.

— — —

7:15 pm

I dropped Christine off with Ellie. She was happy to spend time with Auntie Ellie 'the awesomest doctor in the whole universe'. Devon asked what about him and Christine said he was 'just awesome' and rolled her eyes.

I sat on Sarah's couch. "So you're my brother's cover girlfriend?" I asked her.

"Yeah." She smiled.

"I'm betting you were cocky and you thought all this was all gonna be a piece of cake."

"Yeah, that pretty much summed it up."

Bryce walked in. "Where've you been?" I asked.

"Chrissie called."

"What? What's the matter?" I paniced.

"Nothing she just left Brandi the bear in the car and she wanted a story so she could go to sleep. She said she misses us and wanted me to tell you she loves you."

"That was really sweet thank you."

"She is my daughter." He smiled. "She made some demands, but she said that I should soften you up with some romantic stuff before I tell you."

He pulled out a bouquet of red tulips. "For you Green Eyes. It was Christine's idea."

"They're my favorite. That little traitor. But we can't say she's not a smart kid."

"I'll go get a vase." Sarah said.

"She's trying to help." He defended.

"You know you don't need help," I said sourly.

"I know," he breathed and kissed my neck.

"Bryce."

"Come to a hotel with me tonight," he whispered.

I cleared my throat. "What were her demands?"

"Business first, sex later."

"No sex at all," I retorted and crossed my arms, even though I really want him.

"A million Smarties."

"Not a chance," I shook my head and laughed.

"I figured that much. A bicycle."

"Eventually. Just don't tell her." He chuckled.

"Karate classes."

"She was in them in L.A. I'm not going to stop classes. But they're gonna be a bit more local." She loves karate. It takes some of that never ending energy out of her so I can get her into bed at night.

"Soccer."

"I've been a soccer mom since she was four. No change there." She loves sports and video games. I swear her uncle has had too much of an affect on my baby.

"One yummy mommy you still are."

"Shut up, Bryce."

"Oh and the last one." He paused, dramatic affect and all that.

"Spit it out, Bryce," I met his eyes.

"She wants us to go out on a date and for me to buy you something pretty, maybe something that sparkles." He smiled.

"She didn't say that," he's working this. Chrissie did not say that.

"Yes she did." He said sauntered up to me and I couldn't take my eyes off him. He slid his hand behind my neck and brought me forward to kiss him. His mouth was hot against mine and I exhaled.

I kissed him back and despite my earlier protest I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed against him.

There was a knock on the door and Bryce gave me a light kiss and answers. "Hey Chuck."

"Chuck?" I came up behind Bryce.

"Charlie?" He looked relieved. And then he glanced a Bryce and back at me and his stare hardened. He turned around on his heel and walked out of the building.