The wheels touched down at LAX just after noon. The flight had been quiet, uneventful — but my mind had been anything but. Every flicker of information in my head, every new memory burned into me by the Intersect, every lesson from The Farm replayed on a loop.
But all of that vanished the moment I stepped into the terminal and heard a voice cry out above the noise.
"Chuck!"
Ellie came barreling toward me, weaving through the crowd, her face lit up in the brightest smile I'd seen in months. Before I could even brace myself, she slammed into me with a bear hug so fierce it nearly cracked my ribs.
Her arms locked tight around my chest, cutting off my breath.
"God, I missed you," she said, her voice muffled against my shoulder.
I coughed, gasping dramatically. "El—airway… compromised…" I wheezed, grinning through it. "You're supposed to love me, not kill me."
She laughed through tears, finally loosening her grip enough for me to breathe. "Sorry! I just— I can't believe you're actually here."
When she pulled back, Devon was right behind her, flashing that perfect smile as he clapped me on the shoulder.
"Welcome back, bro! Burbank's been way too dull without you." His eyes scanned me, doctor instincts kicking in. He tilted his head. "Whoa, wait a second. You've put on some serious muscle since we last saw you."
Ellie blinked, then stepped back and gave me a once-over. Her eyes widened. "Oh my God… you have! Chuck, you've— you've filled out." She touched my arm in disbelief. "When did this happen?"
Morgan squinted, his jaw dropping. "Dude! You're, like, broad now! Did they feed you protein shakes at that company training or what?"
I laughed, shrugging like it was nothing. "Guess all that time away finally did me some good."
I rubbed the back of my neck casually, leaning into the cover. "Honestly? There was a gym in the building. After work, a couple of the guys I was working with would head down there."
A small shrug.
"I had a lot of free time… figured I might as well join them."
I smirked slightly.
"Didn't think I'd like it—but yeah… kind of got into it."
Devon's grin widened immediately. "There it is. That explains everything."
He gave my shoulder a firm squeeze, clearly impressed. "Well, now that you're back, we're keeping that going."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," he said, already in full plan mode. "We hit the gym, go for runs, lift a bit—make a day of it. Guys day."
Morgan pointed at himself. "I'm included in this, right?"
Devon shot him a look. "You can come… but you're not skipping leg day."
Morgan recoiled. "Okay, wow—never mind, I suddenly respect my current lifestyle choices."
Ellie laughed, shaking her head but unable to hide her smile. "Well… I don't care how it happened. I'm just glad you're home."
And then Morgan crashed into me, hugging me like a kid. "Chuckster! Finally! My partner in crime is back!"
I grinned, ruffling his hair. "Good to see you, little buddy. How's culinary school?"
"Almost done, man!" he said proudly. "One more semester and I'll be Chef Grimes. Until then, Buy More still owns my soul."
"Proud of you, buddy," I said warmly. "When I get settled, you're making me the first official Morgan Grimes special."
Ellie wiped her eyes, looping her arm through mine. "Come on, let's get you home. I made up your old room. You're not staying in some corporate apartment, not while I'm here."
"Home sounds perfect," I said softly.