Reveille, Reveille [5/6], [T] Casey, Chuck - Spoilers: all seasons
Title: Reveille, Reveille
Rating: T
Characters: John Casey, Chuck Bartowski
Warnings: Spoilers
Spoilers: all seasons
Genres: Gen, Friendship, Fluff, Humor
Chapters: 5/6
Completed: No
Word count: 1,166
Disclaimer: I wish, but no. ;_;
Notes: Credit to Lu for demanding Chuck fic of any kind and then flailing all over it.
Summary: Five times Casey woke Chuck up and one time he let him sleep.
1 2 3 4 5 6
5.
"Where's Chuck?" Sarah asked as she followed Casey down the stairs into Castle.
"He should already be here. I sent him down ten minutes ago before he could be conned into another repair job by Lester and Jeff," he explained with a sneer. He really hated those morons. They were occasionally useful, but, as a general rule, they were more trouble than they were worth. Especially when they tried to monopolize Chuck's time by pawning all the hard repair jobs off on him and keeping the easy ones for themselves.
"I escorted him to the entrance to Castle myself so I know he's-" Casey's jaw clenched as his lips pressed into a straight line. "Down here."
They'd stopped as soon as they could see Chuck's sleeping form hunched over the table, his shoulders tense, face scrunched in a frown.
"Oh," Sarah said and Casey knew what she was going to say before she even said it. Which is why he kept moving toward their snoozing compatriot. "He's been staying late to try and find his mom. Let's just let him-"
"WAKE UP!" Casey shouted and slapped the table with an open palm.
"WOGIBOGAMANIE!" Chuck responded and jerked to the left away from Casey. He hit the floor and rolled, coming up ready to attack on the other side, the gun he'd had at his side now in his hands and aimed at Casey.
Who froze at the sight of the weapon pointed his way. Damn. How had he not seen that the kid was armed?
And, more importantly, why was he armed if he was taking a nap? That was behavior Casey expected from the Chuck of four years ago, possibly two. Not the Chuck of the present who would make a damn fine spy with or without the Intersect in his head.
Not that Casey was going to be sharing that tidbit with him at any time in the foreseeable future.
"Chuck," Sarah said from the stairs, also frozen. "It's us."
By the time she said that, though, Chuck had woken up enough to recognize them and was already safing and lowering his weapon.
"I am so sorry. I didn't-" Chuck stopped and looked away, running a hand through his hair. Sarah took the opportunity to get closer and went to his side, lacing her fingers with his as she looked him over in concern.
Kid did look like shit, even Casey could agree. His skin was pale and his eyes were bloodshot with great black bags ringing them. He looked like he'd lost a fistfight-and Casey knew that he hadn't done that in months.
Still, lack of sleep was no excuse for being an idiot when it came to weapons.
"Didn't what?" Casey asked. "Didn't mean to fall asleep with a gun in your hand? I sure as hell hope not." Sarah glared at him, but Casey ignored her. This wasn't about him being a jackass, this was a matter of safety for all of them and it was unacceptable.
Chuck looked at the weapon in question and holstered it. "I'm really, really sorry about that. I was just..." He sighed and his shoulders slumped. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then dug his fingers into his eyes. "I don't know."
Then he looked around, blinking wide. "Isn't there supposed to be a briefing starting right about now or did I just dream-"
In a case of perfect timing-as usual-the communications display came to life right then, showing General Beckman on screen.
"Team Bartowski. Good you're all here." She paused. "Or not. Where is Agent-"
"I'm here!" Grimes called as he rattled down the stairs. "Sorry. I'm here. Hi!" he said with a grin for his fellow agents. Then he sobered and nodded to the screen. "General."
"Thank you for joining us, Agent Grimes," she acknowledged dryly. "You mission this week is-"
"Sorry to interrupt, General," Casey said, "but we're going to have to respectfully request that this mission be reassigned."
Everyone in Castle stared at him.
"And why is that, Colonel?" Beckman just asked, narrowed eyes telling him she knew that it had to be important for him of all people to ask for it.
"With all due respect, General, we need some down time. We've been running a lot of missions lately, and while I know that's part of having the Intersect on our team..." He gave her a one-shouldered shrug and a half smile. "Even human computers need to sleep, ma'am."
She pursed her lips and regarded all of them carefully.
Chuck was the worst off as far as appearances went, but they all looked a little ragged. Casey could have kept going as long as he was needed, but his team couldn't and that meant they were all in danger. Exhausted soldiers were dead soldiers and the same applied to spies who did the kind of work they did.
She nodded. "Very well. I'm putting you on one week stand down-including your Buy More duties. Get some sleep and report back here on Monday at eight am sharp."
Everyone was watching her except Casey who was paying attention to his teammates in his peripheral vision. Each one relaxed a little bit, relief in their eyes and their faces and their postures.
Beckman ended the call and the screen went black.
All eyes again went to Casey.
Sarah smiled and said, "Casey-"
"Save it. I don't need you falling asleep when you're supposed to be paying attention to your surroundings."
"John-" Grimes started.
Casey just snarled at him and Grimes made an excuse about needing to switch schedules and left.
Casey knew what was inevitably coming next and looked to Chuck.
"Case-"
"If I ever catch you sleeping with a gun in your hand again, I will report it to the general and you will lose your weapons certification and with it your field readiness. And then I'll kick your ass into next month. Are we clear?"
Chuck just nodded, wide-eyed. "Very clear. As crystal and class and diamonds and- and-"
Casey walked away.
He might be able to keep going, but he also knew the value of taking a chance to sleep when it came.
And if it meant he didn't have to see any of these clowns for a week... Well, that was just a reward for being a loyal teammate, now wasn't it?
Rating: T
Characters: John Casey, Chuck Bartowski
Warnings: Spoilers
Spoilers: all seasons
Genres: Gen, Friendship, Fluff, Humor
Chapters: 5/6
Completed: No
Word count: 1,166
Disclaimer: I wish, but no. ;_;
Notes: Credit to Lu for demanding Chuck fic of any kind and then flailing all over it.
Summary: Five times Casey woke Chuck up and one time he let him sleep.
1 2 3 4 5 6
5.
"Where's Chuck?" Sarah asked as she followed Casey down the stairs into Castle.
"He should already be here. I sent him down ten minutes ago before he could be conned into another repair job by Lester and Jeff," he explained with a sneer. He really hated those morons. They were occasionally useful, but, as a general rule, they were more trouble than they were worth. Especially when they tried to monopolize Chuck's time by pawning all the hard repair jobs off on him and keeping the easy ones for themselves.
"I escorted him to the entrance to Castle myself so I know he's-" Casey's jaw clenched as his lips pressed into a straight line. "Down here."
They'd stopped as soon as they could see Chuck's sleeping form hunched over the table, his shoulders tense, face scrunched in a frown.
"Oh," Sarah said and Casey knew what she was going to say before she even said it. Which is why he kept moving toward their snoozing compatriot. "He's been staying late to try and find his mom. Let's just let him-"
"WAKE UP!" Casey shouted and slapped the table with an open palm.
"WOGIBOGAMANIE!" Chuck responded and jerked to the left away from Casey. He hit the floor and rolled, coming up ready to attack on the other side, the gun he'd had at his side now in his hands and aimed at Casey.
Who froze at the sight of the weapon pointed his way. Damn. How had he not seen that the kid was armed?
And, more importantly, why was he armed if he was taking a nap? That was behavior Casey expected from the Chuck of four years ago, possibly two. Not the Chuck of the present who would make a damn fine spy with or without the Intersect in his head.
Not that Casey was going to be sharing that tidbit with him at any time in the foreseeable future.
"Chuck," Sarah said from the stairs, also frozen. "It's us."
By the time she said that, though, Chuck had woken up enough to recognize them and was already safing and lowering his weapon.
"I am so sorry. I didn't-" Chuck stopped and looked away, running a hand through his hair. Sarah took the opportunity to get closer and went to his side, lacing her fingers with his as she looked him over in concern.
Kid did look like shit, even Casey could agree. His skin was pale and his eyes were bloodshot with great black bags ringing them. He looked like he'd lost a fistfight-and Casey knew that he hadn't done that in months.
Still, lack of sleep was no excuse for being an idiot when it came to weapons.
"Didn't what?" Casey asked. "Didn't mean to fall asleep with a gun in your hand? I sure as hell hope not." Sarah glared at him, but Casey ignored her. This wasn't about him being a jackass, this was a matter of safety for all of them and it was unacceptable.
Chuck looked at the weapon in question and holstered it. "I'm really, really sorry about that. I was just..." He sighed and his shoulders slumped. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then dug his fingers into his eyes. "I don't know."
Then he looked around, blinking wide. "Isn't there supposed to be a briefing starting right about now or did I just dream-"
In a case of perfect timing-as usual-the communications display came to life right then, showing General Beckman on screen.
"Team Bartowski. Good you're all here." She paused. "Or not. Where is Agent-"
"I'm here!" Grimes called as he rattled down the stairs. "Sorry. I'm here. Hi!" he said with a grin for his fellow agents. Then he sobered and nodded to the screen. "General."
"Thank you for joining us, Agent Grimes," she acknowledged dryly. "You mission this week is-"
"Sorry to interrupt, General," Casey said, "but we're going to have to respectfully request that this mission be reassigned."
Everyone in Castle stared at him.
"And why is that, Colonel?" Beckman just asked, narrowed eyes telling him she knew that it had to be important for him of all people to ask for it.
"With all due respect, General, we need some down time. We've been running a lot of missions lately, and while I know that's part of having the Intersect on our team..." He gave her a one-shouldered shrug and a half smile. "Even human computers need to sleep, ma'am."
She pursed her lips and regarded all of them carefully.
Chuck was the worst off as far as appearances went, but they all looked a little ragged. Casey could have kept going as long as he was needed, but his team couldn't and that meant they were all in danger. Exhausted soldiers were dead soldiers and the same applied to spies who did the kind of work they did.
She nodded. "Very well. I'm putting you on one week stand down-including your Buy More duties. Get some sleep and report back here on Monday at eight am sharp."
Everyone was watching her except Casey who was paying attention to his teammates in his peripheral vision. Each one relaxed a little bit, relief in their eyes and their faces and their postures.
Beckman ended the call and the screen went black.
All eyes again went to Casey.
Sarah smiled and said, "Casey-"
"Save it. I don't need you falling asleep when you're supposed to be paying attention to your surroundings."
"John-" Grimes started.
Casey just snarled at him and Grimes made an excuse about needing to switch schedules and left.
Casey knew what was inevitably coming next and looked to Chuck.
"Case-"
"If I ever catch you sleeping with a gun in your hand again, I will report it to the general and you will lose your weapons certification and with it your field readiness. And then I'll kick your ass into next month. Are we clear?"
Chuck just nodded, wide-eyed. "Very clear. As crystal and class and diamonds and- and-"
Casey walked away.
He might be able to keep going, but he also knew the value of taking a chance to sleep when it came.
And if it meant he didn't have to see any of these clowns for a week... Well, that was just a reward for being a loyal teammate, now wasn't it?