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“Casey, stop! He has information!” Chuck yelled over the howling wind, but it was too late. Major Casey had already pushed the man off the roof where he screamed down four stories and went splat on the pavement. Leaving an unerasable red blotch.
Turning around, Casey stood on the edge of the roof and stared at her in annoyance. But she didn’t notice, she was too busy staring at where their lost information once stood. Scowling, her head whipped the side where she glared at Casey, who was walking over.
“What?” He growled, annoyed.
“He had information, Casey! He could have told us something!” She told him in anger, following him as he continued to walk past her and towards the stairs.
Shrugging, he spoke carelessly, “So what? He was just an asset… And a snitch. If anything, he got what was coming to him.”
“I know that, but you could have at least waited a little longer!” She yelled, but stopped short and stood still. Her face blanked and paled as she stared past Casey and into the distance.
Casey also stilled before slowly turning to look at her, a small look of surprise met her blank stare. He didn’t expect her to say that. He had expected her to say he wasn’t God and it wasn’t up to him to decide whether the snitch should have lived or died. Then, she would have asked how he could be so emotionless. But, that’s not what she said… It was the direct opposite. She was fine with him dying, but she wanted the information first before he went splat.
“Oh my gosh!” Chuck finally gasped, raising her hands to cover her mouth as she took a step back in horror. “I-I said that!” She whispered, taking two more steps, dangerously close to the edge.
“Bartowski,” Casey said in a low tone, voice warning as he took a step forward, looking her straight in the eyes, which he realized were glazed and teary. She wasn’t all there.
Her gaze snapped away from the concrete and up at Casey, who met her sights. Blinking, she sniffled slightly as she whispered, “Casey?” Her tone was broken.
“Bartowski, come here!” He yelled at her, trying to snap her out of her shock.
Chuck stood still after Casey yelled at her. Just standing, staring at the slowly approaching man.
“Bartowski, come here,” Casey said, in a calmer tone as he tried not to scare her.
“Casey, I didn’t care.” She whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek.
“I know, I heard you.” He replied, trying to keep her talking, focused on their conversation so she wouldn’t take another step backward.
“I didn’t even think about him dying. J-just that he had information.” She whispered again before her legs gave out and she crumbled to the ground, sobbing.
Casey quickly ran towards her, making sure he was there before she even attempted to scramble back.
Crouching down, he held her in his arms as she sobbed heavily. “Casey, I don’t want to be like that.” She whimpered.
“I know.”
“Why?” She asked, looking up at him with teary eyes.
“Why, what?” He asked, looking down at her as he stroked her hair.
“Why is this happening?” She clarified before pulling away and looking at him, “Why didn’t I care?”
He stared at her for a moment before he sighed. “You're becoming a spy, Chuck. This is what happens. You didn’t care, you didn’t even think about it because you're becoming a spy.”
She remained silent as she stared at him, a look of pure horror painting her features.
“That’s what you wanted, remember.” He reminded her.
“I-… I didn’t want this. I wanted to be a spy. N-not become emotionless and a-apathetic.”
His gaze hardened as he thought about what she just said. She thought all spies were emotionless and apathetic. All spies, including him. “Bartowski,” He growled, glaring down at her, “Being emotionless and apathetic is being a spy.”
“No, no, no, no.” She mumbled, tucking her head between her knees, “Being a spy is about s-saving lives a-and helping people!”
Frustrated, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close, making her yelp as he growled in her face, “Ya, and in order to do that you have to take lives. So unless you feel like breaking down after every mission, this is part of being a spy!”
“But being a spy also means you have to care! So why don’t you care?” She screamed back, right in the face, cheeks red.
Releasing her, he stepped back and turned away, “I missed out when God was giving emotions.” He hissed over his shoulder before walking away.
He missed the realization that crossed her face as something dawned, shaking her out of her shocked rambles. “Apparently,” She murmured, barely audible, but just loud enough for him to hear, “Hard to believe you even had anything close to a relationship before you became an Agent.” Referring to his ex-fiance, Kathleen McHugh, who he was with when he was Alex Coburn.
Casey stopped walking and stood still, back to Chuck, who began to stand up, “Let alone an attempted marriage.” Grinding his jaw, the teeth made a very loud crunch as he clenched his fists so tight they became white.
“What did you say?” He asked, slowly turning to face her.
Looking up at him, not even a shred of fear showed on her face as he began to stalk towards her, “You heard me.” She hissed, facing him straight on, “Honestly, I’m surprised you still even have a relationship with your daughter… Oh wait, she doesn’t know you're her father.”
That was the last straw. Grabbing her by the collar, he lifted her off the ground, causing her to reach up and claw at the iron grip on her neck, wheezing. He walked to the edge, glaring at her, face red as he hanged her over the edge.
“I will drop you. Intersect be damned.” He growled.
“Go ahead,” She wheezed, no longer clawing at the hand around her neck which blocked most of her airways, “It’s not like you’ll care if I die. You won’t be even remotely bothered if anyone who loves you, dies. You don’t have emotions, remember? You missed out.” Every word was like acid, and every drop hit its mark.
“What’re you doing?” He sneered, his gaze narrowing in on her now purple face and bloodshot eyes.
“Nothing.” Came the raspy reply, “Even if I tried, you wouldn’t care. No. Emotions.” Her eyes were teary and her vision was going spotty.
Growling, he pulls back and threw her down, causing her to crumble to the concrete and wheeze as she held her throat. Looking up at him, red-faced, she asked, “Why didn’t you do it?”
He didn’t answer, just eyed her.
“Why didn’t you do it, Casey?” She screamed, though her voice cracked at the end, the outcome of vocal abuse.
He still didn’t answer.
“That’s what I thought.” She whispered, standing up, still holding her sore throat that was starting to darken at an oncoming bruise. “You try to act tough, you try to act emotionless and apathetic. You try to pretend that nothing gets to you… But you're just like me.”
“Don’t.”
“Only, I don’t try to block everybody out. I let them in, I let them try to help me.” Stopping, she looked away from the ground and into his eyes, “Something you should try doing.” She whispered.
“Why should I?” He sneered, “Why should I care when nobody else does?”
“Because if you do, you just might realize we do care!” She yelled at him, stomping so she was in his face. “We do care, Casey. About you. And if you’d let us in, you would realize that.” Their faces were inches apart as she breathed heavily before looking down and saying in a quiet voice, “If you would just let me-… Let me in, you would see that I do care, Casey. I care a lot.”
… Talk about mixed signals, people.
It was then that Casey realized what she was doing. She had basically sacrificed herself to help him realize that there are people that can stand by his side when he needs support. When he was hanging her over the roof, she didn’t even try to say sorry or that she didn’t mean it, even though there was a high possibility of him dropping her, she didn’t back down.
Casting his gaze lower, he saw that she was looking up at him shyly, wondering what his answer would be to her admittance. It was not what she expected.
Grabbing her by the back of the neck, he pulled her closer and slammed their lips together. The kiss was rough but also gentle as they moved with each other effortlessly. Chuck couldn’t help but let out a moan as Casey bit her bottom lip. He had to wrap a hand around her waist when she nearly crumbled, legs giving out on her. In return, Casey merely smirked and kissed her harder.
She cared.