TM #217 - Ring picture

[nerdherdchuck]

It was supposed to be a simple task - keep Ellie's engagement ring hidden until Captain Awesome was ready to propose. It had major sentimental value to him, being that it was his great-grandmother's ring. And judging by the size of the diamond? It probably was worth a lot of money too.

So I thought keeping it safe would be easy enough to do. I figured I'd keep the ring in my locker at work for a couple of days and then bring it to him just before he was about to propose.

It should have been easy, but one event lead to another and I found myself on a wild goose chase. And well, eventually the ring ended up in a dumpster but, I'll tell the whole story in a bit.

The important thing is, in the end, I was was able to recover the ring and be there to congratulate Ellie and Awesome on their engagement.

Still, Ellie couldn't help wondering why I was all, well, dirty and stuff yesterday morning.

I suggested she wash the ring off a bit better and she was curious to know what happened to it. I told it was a long story and that she and Awesome should go out for a nice quiet brunch or whatever to celebrate while I get cleaned up. Ellie agreed and a few minutes later after washing the ring and disinfecting it, she and Awesome left for one of their favorite restaurants.

[Locked from those who don't know about Chuck's secret life]

So, I picked up the phone and dialed Sarah. I had to ask what I could tell Ellie about the ring. I knew it couldn't be the truth exactly. After talking for a few minutes, we figured out a story that was pretty much a bunch of half truths. [/unlocked]


By the time Ellie and Awesome came home, I had cleaned myself up and was sitting on the couch channel surfing.

Ellie took the remote from my hand, shut off the TV and said, "I'm dying to hear this 'long story,' Chuck."

I motioned for her and Awesome to take a seat and they joined me on the couch. "Okay so...Awesome came to me and asked...well, sorta for my permission for him to marry you."

Ellie turned towards Awesome, smiling a bit but looking a bit confused.

"You two are so close and Chuck, well is the man in your family," Awesome explained.

"So...you know, Dad isn't around for Awesome to ask, so he asked me and of course, he had my blessing!" I added, grinning.

Ellie rested her head on Awesome's shoulder. She looked rather touched as she did so. "That's so sweet of you Devon!" And then she kissed him. Ellie didn't miss a beat though and asked me to continue the story.

"So, Awesome wanted me to keep the ring hidden for a couple of days cuz he really wanted the proposal to be a surprise. He thought you might find the ring in the apartment and that would sorta...you know, take away the element of surprise," I continued.

"I was trying to be creative, babe," Awesome said, putting his arm around Ellie. "I even thought of proposing while sky diving."

Ellie raised an eyebrow and then turned back to me, motioning to continue.

And so I did. "Well, I thought I'd keep it in my locker at work. But I probably shouldn't have kept the ring in the bag that held the Call of Duty demo that Morgan was bugging me about playing. Even though I said he couldn't play the demo without me, he didn't take 'no' for an answer. And he knew my locker combination so the next thing I know, my bag is missing."

Ellie nodded. "And your friend showed up here and showed me the ring, thinking you were going to propose to Sarah."

I shook my head. "Now, everything would have been fine if Morgan just left the ring in my bag. But no. He had to go and take the ring and put it in the marlin-"

"What was with that marlin anyway?" Ellie asked.

"Oh right! I forgot that part. You see, Jeff and Lester, two guys that work at the Buy More, got drunk. Well, that's putting it lightly. They got...smashed and on a drunk dare, stole the marlin from the Buy More. It was in my manager's office and stuff. And they decided to hide it here."

"Oh!" Ellie exclaimed in realization. "So that's why you and John were looking for the marlin. And that's why you were so weird to me."

"Weird?"

"You know Chuck...that whole, 'I love you just in case I don't find the fish' line?"

I timidly grinned and nodded.

Ellie looked touched. "Chuck, I'd still love you. I might have been upset for a bit but, that was no reason to think I'd hate you."

I nodded again. "I just...I just didn't want to screw up your engagement. I mean, I know how much it meant you both and that was his great-grandmother's ring and-"

Ellie jumped up and gave me a hug which I returned.

It was partially true. Ellie just could never know about the receiver in the marlin and the Fulcrum agent who wanted to kidnap me and the fact I might have been placed in protective custody by the CIA and never see her again...

She let me go and then bounced back onto the couch, looking eager to hear the end of the story. "So then what?"

"So then," I continued, "Well, then I asked Morgan and he finally told me that he took the marlin over to the Weinerlicious."

Ellie looked puzzled. "But Morgan was so distraught over the thought of you not being single and stuff. Why would he bring the ring to where Sarah worked?"

I shrugged. "I didn't ask Morgan that yet. I just wanted to get to Weinerlicious right away to try to get the ring before someone stole it or something. We'll have to ask him though."

That was partially true. It didn't make any sense for Morgan to do that. But he confessed to doing so and Ellie and I could ask him eventually. It was almost as if I had a bit of a cover story from...Morgan of all people.

"And when you got to the Weinerlicious?" Ellie asked.

[locked from those who don't know about Chuck's secret life] This is where the story actually changed from the truth. [/unlocked]

"Sarah's boss had found the marlin broken in two and threw it in the dumpster," I explained. "I asked Sarah if she saw the marlin and she told me her boss took it out to the dumpster. I was panicked since the ring was maybe still inside and I explained how my sister's engagement ring was in there and Sarah, and this was so, just, she didn't need to do this but she did, she brought me out to where the dumpster was and helped me search for the ring."

Awesome and Ellie looked impressed.

"So...we finally found the ring and the marlin. And I began to race back here to give the ring to you," I then motioned to Awesome, "But ran into Jeff and gave him the broken pieces of the marlin, told him to fix it and then booked it back here. And you know the rest for the ring." I shrugged and then quickly added, "And as for the marlin, Jeff phoned me and said he duct taped it back together and hung it back in Big Mike's office while Big Mike was getting coffee or whatever. I think he may notice that bad tape job, but...oh well."

Ellie smiled. "You went through all that for us."

I nodded and then joked, "Just...please, I'm begging you, don't ask me to be the ring bearer at your wedding."

Ellie and Awesome laughed and then we all had a group hug.

"You're telling that story at the wedding," Ellie said, mid-hug.

I grinned. "All right, if you insist."

[Private] I can only tell that version of the story though. [/Private]

Muse: Chuck Bartowski
Fandom: Chuck
Word Count: 1,359