Chad Undercover

Epilogue: Picking up the Pieces

The house was huge for just one man and his dog. It sat high on a hill, on a beautifully landscaped, gated property. The picture of opulence. Inside was spacious and elegantly decorated, warm toned whites paired with golden accents making it the kind of place one would be uncomfortable touching things in. It was all spotless... except for the kitchen.

Chad was working hard, stirring away at a pot of noodles. He had sent all of his staff away for the day, partially for their protection, but partially to ensure he and his guest would have some time to catch up properly. Besides, he wanted to try and make something special, a recipe his brother had taught him when he was young. With a little taste test, he gave a nod, finally satisfied with the concoction of chicken, cup noodles, Italian dressing, and cream cheese. He spooned the mixture into a baking pan and crushed some Doritos over the top as a crust.

Glancing at the clock, the hero grinned happily. Good, he would have time to take Pebbly on a walk before lunch was ready. He slid the uncovered casserole into the hot oven before pulling off his baking mitts and apron.

"Pebbly! Walkies!" he called, grabbing the treats and roll of poop bags. He paused when he didn't here the clicking of claws on the parquet floors. "Pebbly?" he asked, worry in his voice as he moved towards the foyer where his beloved pet would often lounge by the fire (he kept it burning year round for her).

"Are you ok, Princess?" he asked, coming around the corner and freezing at an unexpected sight.

The elderly golden retriever was sprawled out on her back like a puppy, head hanging off of the couch, and tongue lolling out in a big, stupid grin. Her tail was wagging as fast as the arthritis would allow, thudding against the person who's lap she was draped over.

"I think I broke your dog." Morgan said, rubbing the animal's belly as they looked up at their stunned brother with a smile.

Chad was stunned for a moment, staring at the villain. "Morgan!?"

"The one and only!" Morgan chimed with a satirical gesture. The moment their hands came off of the dog, Pebbly rolled over, licking their face and pawing at them with her single front leg to demand attention. The villain chuckled and moved to continue the pets, being gentle with the old girl. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm busy getting mauled by your vicious guard dog."

The sight was truly adorable, but Chad was still trying to piece together what was happening. He looked around the lavish room. Nothing seemed to be broken. "H- how did you get in here?" he asked, aware that he should be more cordial when greeting his guests, but Morgan had him on the back foot as per usual.

He looked back to the villain and couldn't help a small chuckle at the sight of them twirling a set of lock picks in one hand, the other dutifully petting the needy dog. "I see..." Chad said, pulling himself together and moving to sit in an armchair. "Why, though?"

Morgan shifted to slip the lock picks back into their boot and Chad noticed that they were actually dressed up fairly nicely, although now covered in puppy glitter. "Your gate was closed when I got here, and you wouldn't answer your phone. So, I had to get creative." They said, shrugging. Chad saw their green eyes briefly sweeping the room, as if trying to subtly look for something. "I didn't steal anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh... sorry about that..." Chad said, remembering he had left his phone upstairs. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour."

The words made Morgan pause, and they arched a brow at their brother. "You said one o'clock... it's 1:14."

"Wait, what?" Chad said, looking up at the clock that read 12:14.

Morgan snickered a bit. "Daylight savings started last night, Chad. Did you forget to change your clocks?" They asked, a bit of a smirk on their face.